Do you miss the piercer?

[Anti-Sean]

I'm actually much happier when the piercer misses me.

Damnit, I was all set to drop a quip like "In Soviet Greyhawk, PIERCER misses YOU!", but you had to go and beat me to it! :fume:

Then I was going to follow it up with an equally lame "I guess I stalagMIGHT miss them a bit" until I remembered that those are the ones that grow up from the ground.

So I'm just going to sit here for a while and pout as I try not to think about ear seekers instead.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm actually much happier when the piercer misses me.

I've been waiting for that joke.

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Yeah, that one's in there too. Those things are cool.

Yes, and in d20 Future, their webshooting proboscis should be replaced with a LASER! Pew! Pew! Pew!

 

[HellHound]

I guess I'm happy with the replacement. Honestly I would NEVER use a piercer in a serious game, but I could see using a darkmantle.

But the reality of the situation is I've used neither.

 

[Sejs]

It's the eyeballs! Aaaugh!

Aha, yeah. There's a trick with those. You need to trim off the lens, drain 'em out, then stuff them with a little bit of crab, mushroom, and diced green onion. Bake 'em with a bit of olive oil and salt and they come out just lovely.

 

[frankthedm]

Darkmantles are without a doubt new to 3e. There are sketches on the WotC site showing how Sam Wood first conceived of them (originally, the ethereal marauder was going to be the "new piercer").

No, I don't miss the piercer.

Actually, i remember a 1E creature called the executioner's hood that dropped onto folks much like the Darkmantle. IIRC it was in Dungeonland.

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Aha, yeah. There's a trick with those. You need to trim off the lens, drain 'em out, then stuff them with a little bit of crab, mushroom, and diced green onion. Bake 'em with a bit of olive oil and salt and they come out just lovely.

Hmm! I think I see a use for darkmantles yet!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Actually, i remember a 1E creature called the executioner's hood that dropped onto folks much like the Darkmantle. IIRC it was in Dungeonland.

I never thought about that, despite my love for Dungeonland/The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror, but you're right, that was a pretty direct precursor. And it had a creepy Tim Truman illustration, to boot.

 

[Arnwyn]

How about you? Do you miss the piercer? Why or why not?

No, since I have the Tome of Horrors.

 

[Tewligan]

Actually, i remember a 1E creature called the executioner's hood that dropped onto folks much like the Darkmantle. IIRC it was in Dungeonland.

Did it drop onto people? I thought I remembered it not doing anything until people put it on like a hood - although, I may just be misremembering it that way because of the name.

I don't really miss the piercer, anyway. They fall into the category of "screw-you" monsters that I never really liked. "Oh, look, stalactites - screw you, it's a piercer!", "Oh, look, it's a chest - screw you, it's a mimic!", "Okay, certainly the FLOOR is safe - screw you, it's a trapper!" I never dug on that style of monster.

As an aside, "screw-you" monsters are not to be confused with the "screw-your-stuff" monsters. "Boy, I sure like my plate mail - screw your stuff, here's a rust monster!", "Well, at least I still have this swell magic shield - screw your stuff, here's a disenchanter!" Bah, I say!