Do you miss the piercer?

[Mark Hope]

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!

Isn't it Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth that has the trapper which is guarding a rug of smothering? Very unpleasant. The same player got nailed by both of those in quick succession when I first ran it. Heh, and then he attacked the gas spore, thinking it was a beholder. Poor bugger.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

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.

I think that I was confusing monsters (Lurker Above, probably) and the Darkmantle, as such, is new to 3e.

 

[Anti-Sean]

Are there 3E stats for a trapper anywhere? I want to awaken one, name it John, and give it enough levels in, say, the Expert class to boost its Heal and Knowledge: Medicine ranks to a professional level.

 

[Mark Hope]

Are there 3E stats for a trapper anywhere? I want to awaken one, name it John, and give it enough levels in, say, the Expert class to boost its Heal and Knowledge: Medicine ranks to a professional level.

Tome of Horrors again. I won't ask why you want to do this, lest your madness be contagious...

 

[Tewligan]

Are there 3E stats for a trapper anywhere? I want to awaken one, name it John, and give it enough levels in, say, the Expert class to boost its Heal and Knowledge: Medicine ranks to a professional level.

(Groan)

 

[Tuzenbach]

I miss the 1E peryton with its awesome human shadow. Metaphorical creature illustrations rock!

 

[Anti-Sean]

(Groan)

You're right, levels of Combat Medic would have been much more succinct. Mea culpa.

 

[kenobi65]

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.

Also known as "an-entire-ecology-specifically-evolved-to-attack-people-walking-around-in-underground-areas."

Thought they were silly back in the 1E days, and never used 'em much then. I think I used darkmantles once in 3E/3.5, but that was only because they were already in the adventure (a Dungeon Magazine adventure, IIRC).

 

[Vanuslux]

Tome of Horrors again. I won't ask why you want to do this, lest your madness be contagious...

Reference to an old TV show.

 

[Drkfathr1]

I've always liked the concept of the piercer, so I modified them for my own games so that after they fall (and usually miss), they have little crustacean legs that spring out, allowing them to move at a decent pace, and I give them a nasty little acid squirt so they still have a little fight in 'em.

Still really only good for low level PC's, but I love the classics.