D&D 3E/3.5 Creature Catalog 3.5 Overhaul Project

[BOZ]

does CR 1 cover this monster?

one more question, and i'll be satisfied. does this cover the ability properly?

Partial Etherealness (Su): The stinger of the lock lurker exists wholly on the Ethereal plane. It can be materialized on the Material plane as a free action once per round, and returns to the Ethereal at the end of that round. Only creatures on the Material plane can attack the stinger, and only after the lock lurker has used a sting attack in a particular round. If the lock lurker is encountered on the Ethereal Plane, the entire creature will be visible and can be attacked. The stinger can always attack creatures on the Ethereal plane no matter where the lock lurker is.

Venom and food eaten are held in expandable body sacs on the Ethereal plane and brought to the Material plane as needed, in the same manner as the stinger.

When the lock lurker is at rest, this stinger is concealed from sight, as it exists on the Ethereal plane (where it can also strike); it is only brought into existence in the Prime Material plane to launch an attack. When so materialized, the sting looks like a scorpion‘s segmented tail, curving upward from the disclike body of the lurker. When using the stinger, it looks as though the lurker will overbalance and fall due to the size and length of the sting. This action, however, is counterbalanced by the heavy body of the creature.

The stinger of a lock lurker can be attacked on the Prime Material plane only when it materializes there. On the Ethereal plane, all of a lock lurker can be attacked, except when the stinger passes into the Prime Material plane (which it can always do, once per round, despite any physical or magical restraints placed upon it in either plane). Lock-lurker attacks and venom have identical effects on the Ethereal plane. Lock lurkers can see up to 6” (with infravision) on either plane.

otherwise said as:

A lurker's stinger strikes as if the creature were a much more powerful monster. The stinger can attack creatures in the Ethereal plane, and materializes on the Prime Material plane only when the lurker launches an attack. The strike is powerful enough to pierce any armor and to stun opponents of less than man-size for 1-2 rounds. It causes 1d4+5 hp damage and injects a venom into the victim's bloodstream.

A lurker's stinger can be attacked on the Prime Material plane only if materialized there. On the Ethereal plane, all parts of a lurker can be attacked unless it pulls itself fully into the Prime Material plane, This requires an entire round, allowing an ethereal attacker one "free" attack at it.

A lurker can transfer body material between the two planes despite any physical or magical restraints placed on it, but can never fully withdraw into the Ethereal plane. Lurker attacks and venom have the same effects on both planes, and lurkers have 60%-range normal and infravision on both planes.

 

[Krishnath]

LA +4 (resistances, ability scores, natural armor, etheralness)

As for another creature in the MM native to the etheral plane: Etheral Marauder.

 

[BOZ]

LA +4, gotcha.

any thoughts on my above post?

 

[Shade]

BOZ - I think you covered the ethereal stinger very well.

CR 1 seems appropriate.

 

[BOZ]

in that case...

NEXT!


DUSANU (Rot Fiend)
Medium–Size Plant
Hit Dice: 9d8+18 (58 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft
AC: 16 (+6 natural)
Attacks: 2 claws +8 melee
Damage: Claw 1d6+2
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Spore cloud, disease
Special Qualities: Plant, damage reduction 20/+1, weapon immunity, electricity immunity
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10

Climate/Terrain: Any temperate or warm land
Organization: Pack (2–4)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic neutral
Advancement: 10–27 HD (Medium–size)

The dusanu, or rot fiend, is a horrifying and intelligent humanoid that appears as a yellowing, mold-encrusted human (or humanoid) skeleton, often wearing tattered clothing. Its strange eyes flicker with a haunting blue light, and the foul air near a dusanu is tainted with the spores of its terrible dry rot. The dusanu is actually a fungal colony inhabiting a human or humanoid skeleton. Its “hive mind" grants the creature its intelligence and will. Mold inhabits every crevice of the host skeleton save the eye sockets, from which it emits the strange waste fumes that cause the dusanu’s eyes to flicker with an eerie blue light.

Rot fiends appear to communicate through the release of spores and can sense one of their own up to 10 miles away.

Periodically, a dusanu must renew its mold colony by launching spores onto a carcass, rotting tree limb, or other dead object. The spores rapidly grow into mold that consumes the decaying material before launching new revitalized spores that feed on the previous mold colony to build a new one. The mold on the dead material dies after it has used up its food supply. In this way, a rot fiend can consume an entire body or tree trunk the size of itself in less than three hours.


Combat
In battle, dusanu are intelligent and very cunning. The monsters always attack with their moldy claws.

Spore Cloud (Ex): When attacking, a rot fiend pack attempts to form a spore-radiating circle around the opponent. As a rot fiend attacks, its spores radiate outward in a 5-foot radius around its body. Any creature that contacts the cloud takes 1d8 points of damage and must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 16) or become infected with rot fiend fungus.

Disease (Ex): Rot fiend fungus—spore cloud, Fortitude save (DC 16), incubation period 1d3 days; 1d8 temporary Constitution (see below and see Disease, page 74 in the DMG).

Weapon Immunity (Ex): A dusanu takes half damage from piercing weapons.

Electricity Immunity (Ex): Dusanu take no damage from electricity.

Plant: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. Not subject to critical hits. Dusanu have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

ROT FIEND FUNGUS
A rot fiend reproduces by infecting humans and other humanoids with its poisonous spores. Those infected do not show any outward signs of infection for the duration of the incubation, save for an achy rash. The various cure spells have no effect on the victim.

At the end of the incubation period, yellowish mold erupts from the victim’s skin. Each day the victim must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 16) or become overgrown with mold, suffering 1d8 points of temporary Constitution damage. The spores can be destroyed with a remove disease.

If a victim dies from rot fiend fungus, his body will lie dormant for 1d4 days before animating and creating a new dusanu. The character loses all former abilities and memories.


A couple alternate versions of the dusanu:

http://66.34.111.89/Eric/conversions/X5Monsters.zip

http://www.cooleys.org/nbocr/online.asp?page=631


obviously, terminology has changed a bit. The combat entry would be shorter since immunity to electricity and plant traits are now considered self-explanatory. Likewise, damage reduction is now different – perhaps something more like DR X (perhaps 10, not 20)/bludgeoning and magic?

 

[Shade]

DR 10/bludgeoning and magic sounds good.

You can probably merge the rot fiend fungus portion with the disease entry.

On the SQ line, add low-light vision, and change "plant" to "plant traits".

This guy holds up pretty well other than terminology changes.

 

[BOZ]

darkvision and low-light vision?

 

[Shade]

darkvision and low-light vision?

Yep. It gets low-light just for being a plant. I missed the darkvision part under its old Plant entry.

 

[BOZ]

then they must have switched what gets what.

and i think the rot fiend fungus entry looks the way it does because it was intended to match the disease listings in the DMG. that's my guess, as i didn't convert this one originally.

 

[Shade]

then they must have switched what gets what.

I just checked the old SRD, and it appears that plants always got low-light vision. Perhaps the darkvision was above and beyond (like the shambling mound).

and i think the rot fiend fungus entry looks the way it does because it was intended to match the disease listings in the DMG. that's my guess, as i didn't convert this one originally.

That makes sense. I was thinking that all the disease entries now listed this sort of information, but they are not consistent.

For example, these three monsters all handle the disease entry in a different way:

Ghoul: Ghoul Fever (Su): Disease—bite, Fortitude DC 15, incubation period 1 day, damage 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Dire Rat: Disease (Ex): Filth fever—bite, Fortitude DC 11, incubation period 1d3 days, damage 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Pit Fiend: Disease (Su): A creature struck by a pit fiend’s bite attack must succeed on a DC 27 Fortitude save or be infected with a vile disease known as devil chills (incubation period 1d4 days, damage 1d4 Str). The save DC is Constitution-based.