Argyle King
Legend
Thanks for the input. I greatly appreciate it. That is also a very useful monster CR calculator.
Being that this was my first creation, I had somewhat forgotten about adding everything together. Sometimes keeping several sets of rpg rules in my head gets confusing when learning something new.
Still, I think I like how the Zeetles turned out, and they seemed to fill the role I had intended them for during a game that a friend of mine is DMing. To some extent, I was going for what I suppose you might call the "anti-rhino." By that, I mean that many lower CR creatures seem to have their high offensive output balanced against low defenses and low HP. My idea for the Zeetles was the opposite; they are big and tough by their nature, but they are also not predators by their nature; as such, their bodies and forms aren't designed to make full use of their strength during attacks.
"Right now that strength 20 score is doing nothing except letting the monster carry bigger loads and jump further."
You're right, and that is a big part of for what I had aimed. In some of the other rpgs I play, things like STR are broken down a little more into things like striking strength or lifting strength. With the Zeetles, I intended for a high STR creature, but not necessarily one which was optimized for using their strength to deal damage. Their slam-attack is more a product of a Zeetle just sorta clumsily pushing its own bulk and weight into you. If it helps to imagine it, think of it more like they're trying to use their limited DEX to maneuver and attack, but the damage is still a product of their STR.
In the case of a rhino, there is relatively quick propulsion followed by a collision from an animal shaped in such a way so as to maximize damage output. In the case of a Zeetle, it's more like a slowly moving truck which has had its parking brake disengaged; it is not moving quickly nor necessarily equipped with features to case damage, but it still has the weight and mass to cause damage during a collision with a person. Their strength and hardiness (constitution) is a testament to how they survive in a harsh desert environment. Being able to jump further and things of that nature are what I imagine as a natural part of needing to navigate environmental hazards. Truth be told, some of their design was also taking into consideration that they were primarily a background feature to the setting, but being aware of how players think and realizing I should probably have combat stats for them. That being said, having the base model strong, but somewhat lacking in combat training also allows for interesting developments later such as an antagonist using one as a war trained mount.
Still, you are right in your reply; my numbers do not quite add up. Like I said in the beginning of this post, that was a mistake on my part. I'm still learning the system. With the prone only happening on a critical, I've debated whether or not I should raise the DC for that.
