Creature Catalogue Overhaul Project Revisited

[freyar]

Let's do 1/4 HD.

Go with Weapon Finesse and drop Alertness, I think.

Agreed to dropping natural.

Str 1 could make good sense and won't affect anything.

I'm fine with revisiting the rest! Gives us something to do!

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

All the sprites have Dodge and Weapon Finesse as bonus feats. Wanna do that here, too? Retain Alertness as its normal feat?

 

[demiurge1138]

Yes. Otherwise, it won't qualify for Weapon Finesse (also +1 BAB).

 

[freyar]

Good point!

I'm not actually seeing anything in the original text that calls for DR, but I'm not averse to giving them DR 1/cold iron.

Max out all the skills from the 3e version but drop Wilderness Lore?

 

[demiurge1138]

Well, Survival?

 

[freyar]

We could cut a few ranks of the other ones for Survival, but it's not clear to me that these are really screaming for that skill.

 

[demiurge1138]

Fair enough.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Let's revisit the SLAs...

In addition to these mundane abilities, gorse have limited magical attacks and defenses available to them. Once per day, each gorse can cast the cantrips exterminate (to defeat threats that, while minor to humans, are major to things the size of gorse), sprout (usable only on thorn bushes but useful in blocking a miniature path through a bush), and distract (see details on these cantrips in the AD&D 1st Edition volume, Unearthed Arcana, pages 46 and 48). The latter spell, along with the spell mirror image (which they can also each cast once daily) is used to confuse an enemy long enough to allow to escape. One gorse in 10 can also cast one spike growth and a goodberry spell daily to be used in defending the lair and bribing intelligent creatures not to attack them. All spell effects are at 10th level.

In addition to their weapons, gorse have limited magical abilities and defenses available. Each day, a gorse can cast one mirror image, as the 2nd-level wizard spell, and three minor magical effects. Each of minor effect occurs if performed with the 1st-level wizard spell cantrip, and each takes place in its entirety within the round it is cast. Typical uses include:

Distract: Causes anyone watching the gorse to look at an area of the caster’s choice within 10 feet, those of average intelligence or better receive a saving throw;

Exterminate: Kills a single creature no larger than a field mouse, or all insect-sized creatures in a 1/2 cubic foot area, magical or enchanted creatures receive a saving throw vs. death magic;

Sprout: Causes thornbushes in a 1 cubic yard area to add an inch of new growth (good for blocking a minature path).

One gorse in 10 can also cast one spike growth and one goodberry spell each day. These are used to defend the lair or to bribe intelligent creatures not to attack them.

Distract might be a fascination effect, or simply a better version of ghost sound.

Exterminate might work like an arrow of slaying, but only affect Fine and Diminutive creatures.

Sprout could function like a more limited form of briar web or wall of thorns.

 

[demiurge1138]

Distract being a fascination effect, I like. I think sprout should create difficult terrain. Exterminate... perhaps we should limit it to animals and vermin. Otherwise, they could do a lot more havoc killing familiars (which are properly magical beasts)

 

[freyar]

But magical beasts get saving throws. I can see limiting to animals and vermin based on fey flavor, anyway. I'm not sure about making exterminate an arrow of slaying, though, since that can't get all Fine creatures. Sounds like it's all Fine or one Diminutitve, huh?

Let's go with fascination for distract. I think we're getting to the same place on sprout; I'm thinking of a lesser version of entangle.