Living Caltrops

BOZ

Creature Cataloguer
i was inspired to create these things from last week's game. let me know what you think - and if you can come up with a better name for them, i just might use it! :)

Living Caltrops
Fine Construct
Hit Dice: 1/4d10 (2 hp)
Initiative: +5 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft
AC: 27 (+8 size, +5 Dex, +4 natural)
Attacks: Pierce +6 melee
Damage: Pierce 1d4-2
Face/Reach: ½ ft by ½ ft/0 ft
Special Attacks: Attach, trip
Special Qualities: Construct
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +5, Will +0
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 21, Con ---, Int ---, Wis 10, Cha 1

Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Spill (4-16), disaster (10-100)
Challenge Rating: 1/4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: ---

“Living caltrops” are miniscule little objects in the shape of a ball, and covered in sharp points. These things are able to move on their own by retracting their spikes, and rolling around on the ground. They are mostly commonly used as guardians for wizards and nobles who fear the intrusion of thieves. They will not attack their creator, and can be programmed to avoid specific individuals or types of people, or to attack only specific types of people or under whatever conditions their creator specifies. These constructs are capable of guarding an entire floor of a structure, but are not able to climb up stairs and are stopped by closed doors or other impassable objects that they cannot fit through. These little things typically range from 1-3 inches in diameter.

COMBAT
“Living Caltrops” have two main modes of attack: As moving caltrops, or as rolling marbles. They will normally set themselves up against their opponents by rolling out to where the opponents are likely to walk to, then extend their spikes and wait until they are nearly stepped on to attack. Once full combat begins, most of them roll around continually, extending their spikes and stopping as a free action. Sometimes, some of them will remain in spheroid form to use their trip attack, causing the victim to fall on even more of the spiky ones. They can still attack creatures that stand still, but cannot trip such creatures.
Attach (Ex): If a spiky one succeeds at a melee attack or if a creature falls on top of it, it attaches itself to that creature, causing an additional 1d3 points of damage per round that it remains attached. A creature can remove one of these things as a full-round action, causing 1 point of damage to the creature it is attached to. These things can remove themselves at will, by retracting their spikes (this causes no damage to the creature).
Trip (Ex): If any of the “living caltrops” remain as spheroids, each one can cause a moving creature to trip and fall. The victim must roll a Reflex save (DC 15) or slip on the marble-like construct, falling directly on top of 3d4 spiky ones (this number may be fewer, depending on how many spiky ones are not attached to or underneath other creatures). This attack can occur an unlimited number of times per round, as the spheroids continue to roll on the ground.
 

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I think living caltrop isn't bad - can't think of anything better myself. Something involving jacks is obvious, "jack ball spike thing" doesn't really do it justice though :D

two questions: 1) do fine creatures get a bonus to hide checks? just trying to work out how hard it would be to spot these little blighters - I'd love to give them nice skill points in hide but constructs don't get skill points, correct? (what about racial bonuses though?)

2) "trip - unlimited number of times per round" - this looks a bit on the harsh side, open for much abuse and technically could go on forever? How about each trip attack constitutes the equivalent of moving 5ft (i.e. rolling around), therefore max of 8 trip attacks on one creature, less if they move to attack someone else...
 

Boz: Nice, I like them.

Blacksway: The size of a creature affects it's hide skill, creatures larger than medium-size get a negative modifier, while creatures that are smaller than medium-sized get a positive modifier, the modifier for a fine object is +16 as shown on page 69 of the PHB. :D
 

It's a very cool idea, I must say. I'm not sure, though, that they really deserve only a CR of 1/4. AC 27? +6 to hit (is that from an unstated Weapon Finesse feat)?
 

I think giving it an inherent Hide bonus might be called for. +16 you say? Any other skills come to mind?

The Trip attack might be broken and in need of fixing. That’s fine, I just posted the first version of this I came up with. I’ll think about Blacksway’s suggestion.

Since it lacks sensory organs, I’m thinking of giving it Blindsight and/or Tremorsense.

The +6 to hit is from: +8 for size, -2 for Strength, +0 for Hit Dice.

hmm, Warden Jacks might be a good name. :)

suggestions for CR? That’s a good point, ¼ is probably too low – I had considered that.
 

Trip (Ex): If any of the ?living caltrops? remain as spheroids, each one can cause a moving creature to trip and fall. The victim must roll a Reflex save (DC 15) or slip on the marble-like construct, falling directly on top of 3d4 spiky ones (this number may be fewer, depending on how many spiky ones are not attached to or underneath other creatures). This attack can occur an unlimited number of times per round, as the spheroids continue to roll on the ground.

I think the mechanic we need to decide on is: is the Trip an attack (targeting a creature, which would happen on its own action) or a Hazard (making an area dangerous as long as it is in the area). Decide which it is, and the ability will hopefully fix itself.
- Devon
 

i've been informed that there is magic item called "jumping caltrops" in Song & Silence. could someone compare it to this thing and see just how different it is? if it's different enough and valid, i'll hang on to it. if it's not different enough... then i should have come up with this 6 months ago. ;)
 

Hmm... can't find my Song and Silence at the moment, so I can't help you there, but I can help you with the CR. The CR should be roughly 1.
 

Freakily similar actually, at least stat-wise. They have Dex 16, and only 1 wis. They cannot move outside a 5ft square and are essentially controlled by their owner.

Also, after 11 rounds of use they become normal caltrops and moving slower reduces the number of attacks you are susceptible to.

Your trip ability makes you're much more deadly, so I'd give yours a higher cr like Krish says (the S&S ones are CR 1/4 as well)
 
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