How can Shriekers be justly assigned a CR of 1?

[MerakSpielman]

Isn't there even a possibility that the shriekers might attract a wnadering monster of some sort? If not why even bother to have them in the dungeon?

No, there is no chance they will alert a monster. The Shriekers are in the cavern complex for 2 reasons: flavor and paranoia.

The party is still first level, so I don't want to kill them outright.

This is a "live" cave, meaning it is very wet and damp and is still in the process of creating spectacular formations. I decided that it was an ideal breeding ground for molds and fungi. I would have put in some violet fungi, or fungus-based shambling mounds, but the characters are only first level, so I picked shriekers. I put them in a side cavern that does not need to be explored. If the players set them off, they will become paranoid and believe their danger level has increased dramatically. This is not true, but it is a good way of adding "danger atmosphere" without any real danger. And frankly, when you're first level, the potential for a character-killing danger is just as scarey as the reality of it.

 

[diaglo]

what is the ecology of a shrieker?

basically they can't eat unless something dies nearby they can digest. so they usually(99 out a 100) have some means to kill their meal for them. violet fungi if i'm not mistaken.

 

[Devilkiller]

Green Slime is also a classic D&D monster, but in 3rd edition it became a hazard rather than a monster.

Yeah, it is a hazard, but it is also CR4. Shriekers rule though!
(note that use of might indicate that I'm not entirely serious)

I still think that a baby violet fungi with weaker combat stats might be fun, or maybe you could have sort of weird fungus that squirts spores which extinguish torches and lanterns when the shriekers start screaming. 1st level characters might not have permanent magical light sources yet, and being plunged into darkness in a room full of loud shrieking would probably scare the characters pretty well IMO. Maybe they'd even use up some spell or item resources.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

No, I'm sticking with armless and legless - deliberately set up to be callously murdered by the PCs. A sleeping ogre has a chance to wake up. If a shrieker screams and no one can hear it what can it do? 'Bout as much as the maimed ogre.

The Auld Grump - what is the CR of warm cream cheese...?

If a shrieker shrieks in a cave and nobody is around to hear, does it make a sound?

 

[Vahktang]

Yeah, it is a hazard, but it is also CR4. Shriekers rule though!
(note that use of might indicate that I'm not entirely serious)

I still think that a baby violet fungi with weaker combat stats might be fun, or maybe you could have sort of weird fungus that squirts spores which extinguish torches and lanterns when the shriekers start screaming. 1st level characters might not have permanent magical light sources yet, and being plunged into darkness in a room full of loud shrieking would probably scare the characters pretty well IMO. Maybe they'd even use up some spell or item resources.

That would be a kewl low level monster - a fire putter outer.
"I get out my tinderbox."
"Roll to see how many rounds it takes."
Then a DEX check to use it without seeing.

If a shrieker shrieks in a cave and nobody is around to hear, does it make a sound?

Was thinking the same thing.

More later,

Vahktang

 

[MerakSpielman]

If a shrieker shrieks in a cave and nobody is around to hear, does it make a sound?

No, it makes a shriek. But I only know it did 'cause you told me, so it seems you were there after all!

 

[James McMurray]

No, there is no chance they will alert a monster.

Then they are not a threat and not worth XP, no matter what CR they are assigned.

 

[TheTaxMan]

Slightly vearing away, what if the shriekers could alert monsters, but the PC's prevent them from doing so? What if the ogre is sleeping? The PC's had to use some skill to avoid waking him even if they just sneak past. There's so much grey area, but if there is a real threat (although you say there isn't so it doesn't really apply) even if the PC's don't know it, they should get some sort of reward for circumventing the problem.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Scenario: The players encounter shriekers. They do not know if the shrieks will attract monsters, but have to assume they will, just to be safe (remember, paranoia saves more lives than it ends!). They develop an elaborate and cunning plan that manages to destroy all ten shriekers before they utter a peep. Only the DM knows that there was no real threat.

In this case I would not feel justified withholding ALL xp from the players. Certainly the shriekers weren't really CR 1 creatures, but a cunning and inventive plan, perfectly executed to eliminate what the characters percieve to be a potential threat (as opponed to wading in with an axe), should be worth something. I think most of you will agree with me on this point. The players get, say, 60xp each for the endeavor.

The next question is, with the same setup, should the PCs get additional xp if there really WAS a threat to be alerted by the shrieks? Say, a bandit hideout a few caverns further down?

 

[James McMurray]

If the characters have a way of knowing that those are actually shriekers, and know what they're used for, and then manage to get around or through them without alerting them, it should be worth XP. However, if their plan fails, it shouldn't be worth anything.

And the XP should be based upon the actual threat, perhaps 1/4 XP since there's no real risk involved?

I personally would just work it into the ad hoc XP I assign at the end of each adventure, chapter, or what have you.