Creature Catalogue Overhaul Project Revisited

[Cleon]

So shall we figure out the wording of the accuracy bonus?

What do you think of:

Clairvoyance (Su): At will, a greater urchin can make use of the clairaudience/clairvoyance spell as cast by a sorcerer with a level equal to its hit dice. It cannot see or hear, but it can sense whatever is taking place around its habitat (i.e. the water where it dwells as well as the shoreline and beach nearby). Greater urchins use this ability to detect food and danger.

This ability is so accurate it grants an enhancement bonus to the urchin's attack rolls whenever it shoots a spine at a target it can sense with clairvoyance. The enhancement bonus varies according to the color of the urchin: +1 for black, +2 for green, +3 for red, +4 for yellow and +5 for silver.

We also need a Spines SA line like the land urchin's, i.e.:

Spines: A greater urchin can slam its body into an enemy to make a melee attack with its spines, but prefers shooting its spines as missile weapons with a range increment of 80 feet. It has thousands of spines so is unlikely to run out of "ammunition".

 

[Cleon]

Guess I might as well change all those Slam attacks to Spines in the Greater Urchin Working Draft.

 

[Cleon]

Do you have a preference for the "X" value in Water Dependent?

I'm fine with the common "1 hour per 2 points of Constitution", which would allow for a 6 hour stay out of the water.

I'd also be happy making it per 3 points of Constitution for a 4 hour stay or "1 hour per point of Constitution" for a 13 hour stay, but don't favour anything outside that range.

Which do you prefer?

Also, are you agreeable to the proposed expansion of the Silver Urchin's Hit Dice advancement from 8-10 HD (Medium) to 8-15 HD (Medium)?

 

[freyar]

Oh, you really seem to like the extended threat range for the spines, so let's do that. The rest of your Spines text is good.

The proposed advancement is fine.

I generally like your Clairvoyance ability, but would it be reasonable for it to be "always on" unless hit by something like dispel magic, with the usual text that the urchin can turn it on again (or off and on by itself) at will as a free action?

 

[Cleon]

Oh, you really seem to like the extended threat range for the spines, so let's do that. The rest of your Spines text is good.

Oh, I thought we were dropping the critical threat range idea.

So which would you prefer I add to the Working Draft?

The proposed advancement is fine.

Added to the Greater Urchin Working Draft.

I generally like your Clairvoyance ability, but would it be reasonable for it to be "always on" unless hit by something like dispel magic, with the usual text that the urchin can turn it on again (or off and on by itself) at will as a free action?

I thought about adding the dispel-but-restart-as-a-free-action bit but realized it's a (Su) ability so can't be dispelled. The "caster level" is mostly just to determines its range (400 ft. + 40 ft./level).

It makes sense to make it continuous / a free action, but the original CC version had "at will".

Still, I'm not adverse to the additional tweak. How about:

Clairvoyance (Su): A greater urchin continuously senses its surroundings as though it were using the clairaudience/clairvoyance spell as cast by a sorcerer with a level equal to its hit dice. It cannot see or hear, but it can sense whatever is taking place around its habitat (i.e. the water where it dwells as well as the shoreline and beach nearby). Greater urchins use this ability to detect food and danger. If its clairvoyance is interrupted, a greater urchin can restart it as a free action.

This ability is so accurate it grants an enhancement bonus to the urchin's attack rolls whenever it shoots a spine at a target it can sense with clairvoyance. The enhancement bonus varies according to the color of the urchin: +1 for black, +2 for green, +3 for red, +4 for yellow and +5 for silver.

 

[Cleon]

The proposed advancement is fine.

What about the X in Water Dependent?

Do you approve of the standard "per 2 points of Constitution"?

 

[freyar]

Go ahead and add the larger threat range to the spines.

The revision to clairvoyance is good. This way it can restart the ability in case of antimagic field or something.

Per 2 points of Con works for Water Dependent.

Do you have any ideas on description?

 

[Cleon]

Go ahead and add the larger threat range to the spines.

The revision to clairvoyance is good. This way it can restart the ability in case of antimagic field or something.

Per 2 points of Con works for Water Dependent.

Updating the Greater Urchin Working Draft.

Hmm… does the Clairvoyance bonus to attack apply to melee as well as ranged?

The original didn't have a melee attack and just gave the bonus to "all spines fired".

I've only included it in the spines ranged attack in the current Working Draft, but would be OK giving the clairvoyance attack bonus to melee as well.

Do you have any ideas on description?

There's not much to that. They're basically just a ball of spines.

 

[freyar]

It would make sense for the clairvoyance bonus to apply to melee as well. Two other questions: shouldn't they be blind, and do they need blindsight with clairvoyance?

 

[Cleon]

It would make sense for the clairvoyance bonus to apply to melee as well.

Updating the Greater Urchin Working Draft.

Two other questions: shouldn't they be blind?

Good catch. Yes the greater urchins ought to have the Blind SQ, the same as the Land Urchin conversion we're working on.

I've added it to the Greater Urchin Working Draft.

and do they need blindsight with clairvoyance?

Well the original conversion had both, and if it just had clairvoyance it wouldn't be able to "see" an enemy right next to it when it was clairvoying somewhere far away.