Corrections to Monsters in the CC

[Cleon]

Well, eventually we should start doing 3.0 to 3.5 updates again! Let's start with the Afanc, why not? That'll let me think about how I'd want to approach how it attacks ships. Want to put the original and 3.0 versions in the update thread?

Sure.

I've posted the Afanc's 3.0 conversion and AD&D stats plus an Afanc Working Draft on the Overhaul Project thread.

 

[Cleon]

While creating a By-CR list of Fey for the Caprine conversion I remembered a few issues with the CC Index's Challenge Ratings.

The CR in the index includes both numbers-with-slashes and fraction characters (i.e. a half appears as both "1/2" and "½") which makes sorting and searching for a low-challenge creature problematic.

It seems more practical to replace the character-fractions with slash-fractions (i.e. ½ => 1/2) since there are some fractions in the CC which don't have characters in the standard basic character sets such as 1/5 and 1/6.

While I'm doing that, there are some CR listings with an extraneous leading zero holding over from the old Index, including some fractions (such as the "01/10" Rot Grub) that just look a bit ugly so I might as well prettify them by stripping the unnecessary "0".

Shouldn't be difficult, just a few Find-Replace operations in Excel.

There is another issue which would be a little more time-consuming to address (assuming we decide it's appropriate).

A few monsters have variants or dependent creatures of a different CR - i.e. Gibberspawn or the Lubin variant of the Urisk - which I'm wondering about giving separate italicized index entries like the Camarilla+Xytar has.

Also, the flying versions of the 3.5 Greater Urchins don't have their CRs listed in the Index. Should put those in too.

 

[Cleon]

There is another issue which would be a little more time-consuming to address (assuming we decide it's appropriate).

Looking through the Index I noticed a few entries that could do with rephrasing. For example, the "Ant, Velvet Insect Swarm" would work better as "Ant Swarm, Velvet" or "Ant Swarm, Velvet (Insect Swarm, Velvet Ants)" with similar changes for the Grasshopper and Locust swarms. Currently a text search for Ant Swarm/Grasshopper Swarm/Locust Swarm won't return any hits (0r a search for "Swarm, Ant" for that matter). Also, it implies the existence of a swarming "Velvet Insect" that doesn't occur in AD&D!

 

[Cleon]

Just noticed that the Seelie Faerie and Unseelie Faerie both have Challenge Rating 1. These Faerie conversions have CRs that vary with size much like the SRD Elementals and it's only the Diminutive Faeries that are CR 2. I'll alter it to "CR: Varies" in the next update.

Oh, and I'll also tweak the Insect Swarm names.

 

[Cleon]

During the Awnshegh Kraken conversion I reviewed the Awnshegh Ice Fiend that's already on the CC and noticed its breath weapon DCs were wrong:

Winter Form: Breath weapon DC 23; but 20 HD (+10) plus Con 21 (+5) should give it DC 25.
Autumn/Spring Form: Breath weapon DC 19); but 15 HD (+7) plus Con 19 (+4) should give it DC 21.

Ugh! It looks like the Fort saves are wrong too:

Winter Form: Fort +16, but 20 HD (+12) plus Con 21 (+5) should give it +17.
Autumn/Spring Form: Fort +16, but 15 HD (+9) plus Con 19 (+4) should give it +14.

Did we tweak its Con at some point?

Anyhow, I'd better go through the statblocks and check for errors just to be safe…

…nope, the rest of the numbers look fine.

Unfortunately I uploaded a CC update yesterday and it's not worth it doing a new upload just to change four numbers. It can wait for the next one. Might as well reformat it to be a bit prettier while I'm at it.

I can't help thinking we should add "An ice fiend can't use its breath weapon during Summer" to that special attack's description.

EDIT: Heck, I just added that to the corrected version. It seemed sensible at the time.

 

[freyar]

OK, I've been behind on this thread, and you've found a few things! All this looks reasonable. I agree to the Ice Fiend changes.

What about Swarm, Velvet Ant? Or Velvet Ant Swarm? Or something. Or just list it many times.

 

[Cleon]

OK, I've been behind on this thread, and you've found a few things! All this looks reasonable. I agree to the Ice Fiend changes.

Done.

What about Swarm, Velvet Ant? Or Velvet Ant Swarm? Or something. Or just list it many times.

I tweaked the ( CC Index ).htm file of the latest Creature Catalog download with multiple variants of the Insect Swarm names.

Although checking it I didn't include "Swarm, Velvet Ant" amongst them. Better add it in the next update!

 

[Cleon]

I've just noticed the Adaro incorporates a Flying Fish Swarm entry. Should I cut this out as a separate entry like we did with the Mosquito Swarm, which was originally part of the Windigo entry?

Even if we leave it in the Adaro I think it needs a few scraps of flavour text and to be listed in the CC Index.

 

[Cleon]

Noticed the Faerie Phiz has an extraneous question mark in its Camouflage Special Quality: "Elves and druids receive a +2(?) bonus on their checks."

I'll remove it in the next update.

 

[Cleon]

The Faerie Dragon has improved invisibility, Spell Resistance 21 and can cast spells as either a 6th level sorcerer or an 8th level druid.

Which makes Challenge Rating 2 seem a bit low!

However, if we're going to change the CR we'd presumably want to update it to 3.5 while we're at it.