Knight Otu
First Post
Detect psionics as per the power, maybe with a bit of the spell arcane sight thrown in.
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D&D 3E/3.5 Creature Catalog 3.5 Overhaul Project
- Thread starter BOZ
- Start date
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
I think I will keep it simple actually – I want to get the psionics part over with and move on. 
Basing this loosely on the Solar’s spell-like ability section…
A lythlyx always has the detect psionics ability active on its person (manifester level 9th, range 90 feet).
If psionic powers can be dispelled, I could paraphrase the rest of that paragraph: “It can be dispelled, but the lythlyx can reactivate it as a free action.”
moving on then:
Attacks: Body whip +8 melee; or 20 bites +8 melee
Damage: Body whip 2d6+-; or bite 0 and blood drain
The attack line was something that I was never completely happy with. Rereading the below sections:
it seems that perhaps the body whip is their normal attack, then something like either attach or improved grab to drop their coils around prey (though the third entry lists an “or” for that move, suggesting they may be able to grapple without the body whip) in the following round then, it would seem that it may either constrict or drain blood.
I’d definitely not want to keep the bite attacks as listed above, as they were never really very appropriate in the first place.
Basing this loosely on the Solar’s spell-like ability section…A lythlyx always has the detect psionics ability active on its person (manifester level 9th, range 90 feet).
If psionic powers can be dispelled, I could paraphrase the rest of that paragraph: “It can be dispelled, but the lythlyx can reactivate it as a free action.”
moving on then:
Attacks: Body whip +8 melee; or 20 bites +8 melee
Damage: Body whip 2d6+-; or bite 0 and blood drain
The attack line was something that I was never completely happy with. Rereading the below sections:
Dragon 43 said:
RoMD said:
MCA1 said:
it seems that perhaps the body whip is their normal attack, then something like either attach or improved grab to drop their coils around prey (though the third entry lists an “or” for that move, suggesting they may be able to grapple without the body whip) in the following round then, it would seem that it may either constrict or drain blood.
I’d definitely not want to keep the bite attacks as listed above, as they were never really very appropriate in the first place.
Shade
Monster Junkie
BOZ said:I think I will keep it simple actually – I want to get the psionics part over with and move on.
A lythlyx always has the detect psionics ability active on its person (manifester level 9th, range 90 feet).
If psionic powers can be dispelled, I could paraphrase the rest of that paragraph: “It can be dispelled, but the lythlyx can reactivate it as a free action.”
They can be dispelled.
BOZ said:it seems that perhaps the body whip is their normal attack, then something like either attach or improved grab to drop their coils around prey (though the third entry lists an “or” for that move, suggesting they may be able to grapple without the body whip) in the following round then, it would seem that it may either constrict or drain blood.
I’d definitely not want to keep the bite attacks as listed above, as they were never really very appropriate in the first place.
I'd go with body whips as main attacks, plus improved grab and constrict. The blood drain could be used against a grappled opponent...no need for attach, IMO.
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
Shade said:
it’s the way I was leaning anyway, so OK.
Constrict (Ex): A lythlyx deals 2d6+9 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a lythlyx must hit with its body whip attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can either constrict or drain blood.
Although, with my original conversion, I had kept its ability to grapple more than one creature at a time in the coils as noted here:
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the lythlyx must hit with its body whip attack. If it gets a hold, it can either constrict or drain blood, but not both. The lythlyx may grab up to two Large, four Medium-Size, or eight Small or smaller creatures, once per round. The lythlyx has a grapple bonus of +13.
Constrict (Ex): A lythlyx deals 2d6+9 points of damage with a successful grapple check against all creatures held in its body each round the hold is maintained.
Shade
Monster Junkie
Looks good thus far. Skip just covered monsters grappling multiple foes simultaneously:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050322a
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050322a
Shade
Monster Junkie
Monsters and Grappling
The rules don't say much about how monsters conduct grappling combat.
It's easiest, however, to allow a monster one grappling attack per natural weapon it has, provided that the natural weapon can hold on to the target in some fashion. The monster uses its listed grapple bonus when attacking with a primary natural weapon (or weapons) and its listed grapple bonus -5 for any secondary natural weapons. If the monster's grapple attack deals damage to a foe, the damage is lethal (unless the monster takes a -4 penalty to deal nonlethal damage) and equal to the damage rating for the natural weapon. For example, a troll grappling with a claw has a grapple bonus of +14 and deals 1d6+6 point of damage with the attack.
A slightly more complex method for handling grappling monsters is to allow the monster one grapple attack for every 5 points of base attack bonus it has. If the monster has natural weaponry, it deals lethal damage from one natural attack. The monster can use each natural weapon only once during its turn. If the monster's base attack allows it more grapple attacks than it has natural weapons, it must deal normal unarmed damage for any extra attacks.
Improved Grab: The improved grab special attack allows a monster to make a grab attack as part of a regular melee attack with a particular natural weapon (usually a bite or claw). If the attack hits, the natural weapon deals damage normally, and the monster immediately makes an opposed check to establish a hold. The attack doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. Since the attack already dealt damage when it hit, a successful hold deals no extra damage. Each successful grapple check the attacker makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold. (This works just like making a grapple check to deal damage.)
A creature with the improved grab special attack has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but it is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents. This is handy for really big monsters, such as giant squids and krakens.
When a creature gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space (rather than entering the foe's space). According to page 310 in the Monster Manual, the grabbed creature's involuntary movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A creature with the improved grab special attack and reach drags a grabbed foe a considerable distance.
A creature with the improved grab special attack can move without making an opposed grapple check, provided it can drag the opponent's weight. The creature's movement and the involuntary movement by anyone it drags along provokes attacks of opportunity normally.
Constrict: Creatures with the constrict special attack deal extra damage when grappling. Most creatures with this attack usually also have the improved grab special attack. A creature deals extra constriction damage when it first grabs a foe and establishes a hold. If the creature later makes a grapple check to deal damage to a creature in its grasp, it deals damage from the natural weapon it uses in the attack (if any) and extra constriction damage as well.
The rules don't say much about how monsters conduct grappling combat.
It's easiest, however, to allow a monster one grappling attack per natural weapon it has, provided that the natural weapon can hold on to the target in some fashion. The monster uses its listed grapple bonus when attacking with a primary natural weapon (or weapons) and its listed grapple bonus -5 for any secondary natural weapons. If the monster's grapple attack deals damage to a foe, the damage is lethal (unless the monster takes a -4 penalty to deal nonlethal damage) and equal to the damage rating for the natural weapon. For example, a troll grappling with a claw has a grapple bonus of +14 and deals 1d6+6 point of damage with the attack.
A slightly more complex method for handling grappling monsters is to allow the monster one grapple attack for every 5 points of base attack bonus it has. If the monster has natural weaponry, it deals lethal damage from one natural attack. The monster can use each natural weapon only once during its turn. If the monster's base attack allows it more grapple attacks than it has natural weapons, it must deal normal unarmed damage for any extra attacks.
Improved Grab: The improved grab special attack allows a monster to make a grab attack as part of a regular melee attack with a particular natural weapon (usually a bite or claw). If the attack hits, the natural weapon deals damage normally, and the monster immediately makes an opposed check to establish a hold. The attack doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. Since the attack already dealt damage when it hit, a successful hold deals no extra damage. Each successful grapple check the attacker makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold. (This works just like making a grapple check to deal damage.)
A creature with the improved grab special attack has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but it is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents. This is handy for really big monsters, such as giant squids and krakens.
When a creature gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space (rather than entering the foe's space). According to page 310 in the Monster Manual, the grabbed creature's involuntary movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A creature with the improved grab special attack and reach drags a grabbed foe a considerable distance.
A creature with the improved grab special attack can move without making an opposed grapple check, provided it can drag the opponent's weight. The creature's movement and the involuntary movement by anyone it drags along provokes attacks of opportunity normally.
Constrict: Creatures with the constrict special attack deal extra damage when grappling. Most creatures with this attack usually also have the improved grab special attack. A creature deals extra constriction damage when it first grabs a foe and establishes a hold. If the creature later makes a grapple check to deal damage to a creature in its grasp, it deals damage from the natural weapon it uses in the attack (if any) and extra constriction damage as well.
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
One problem that gave me was the “one grapple attack for every 5 points of base attack”, which of course the lythlyx has only BAB +3. so, I elaborated a little bit.
Constrict (Ex): A lythlyx deals 2d6+9 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a lythlyx must hit a creature of Large or smaller size with its body whip attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can either constrict or drain blood.
A lythlyx may continue to use its body whip attack against creatures it is not currently grappling. The lythlyx can use its improved grab ability to grapple multiple creatures, and can hold 1 Large, 2 Medium, or 4 Small or smaller creatures. On a successful grapple check, the lythlyx either constricts all creatures it is grappling or drains blood from all creatures it is grappling.
Constrict (Ex): A lythlyx deals 2d6+9 points of damage with a successful grapple check.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a lythlyx must hit a creature of Large or smaller size with its body whip attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can either constrict or drain blood.
A lythlyx may continue to use its body whip attack against creatures it is not currently grappling. The lythlyx can use its improved grab ability to grapple multiple creatures, and can hold 1 Large, 2 Medium, or 4 Small or smaller creatures. On a successful grapple check, the lythlyx either constricts all creatures it is grappling or drains blood from all creatures it is grappling.
