More vermin! (please help?)

[Sixten]

As I mentioned yesterday, while I would certainly welcome any feedback you all might have about the creatures I've posted in the last couple of days, these next two are probably where I need the most help.

First up is the swamp termite. I'm actually worried that this might be a little too puny, even compared to the OD&D creature I'm converting. Specifically, with such a low strength, its bite can't actually do any damage (but I'm not sure that a bigger Str is appropriate for a 1' termite). And the DC for the ink spray (by the book) means that few, if any, characters will ever be affected by it.

Termite, Swamp

Tiny Vermin
HD: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +1 (Dex)
Speed: Swim 30 ft.
AC 14 (+2 size, +1 Dex, +1 natural)
Attacks: Bite +3 melee
Damage: Bite 1d4-4
Face/Reach: 2 1/2 ft. by 2 1/2 ft. / 0 ft.
Special Attacks: Ink spray
Special Qualities: Vermin
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 2, Dex 12, Con 11, Int -, Wis 6, Cha 2
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +2
Feats: Weapon finesse (bite)
Climate/Terrain: Temperate and warm aquatic and marsh
Organization: Group (1-4) or Swarm (2-20)
CR: 1/2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: -

Ink spray (Ex): The termite does not bite unless cornered; instead, it uses an inky spray for defense. When frightened above water, a ranged touch attack must be made. A victim hit by the spray must make a Fortitude save (DC 10) or be paralyzed for 2d6 minutes. Underwater, the ink instead forms a spherical cloud roughly 5 ft. in diameter. Creatures inside the cloud are considered blinded under they move outside of it. The ink cloud will dissipate after 1d4 minutes.

 

[Sixten]

#2: the leech

Here's the second of my assistance-required vermin: the giant leech. Here, too, I'm a little worried that the really low DC on the Str check will make it too easy to remove these guys, and their damage-dealing here is much reduced. They're also a little puny compared to the OD&D versions, but I think that's okay -- they were 6 HD creatures (?!).

Leech, Giant

Small Vermin (Aquatic)
HD: 3d8+6 (19 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: Swim 30 ft.
AC: 15 (+1 size, +4 natural)
Attacks: Bite +3 melee
Damage: Bite 1d4+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Blood drain
Special Qualities: Vermin
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 10, Con 15, Int -, Wis 8, Cha 2
Skills: Hide +4, Move Silently +3
Climate/Terrain: Temperate and warm marsh
Organization: Swarm (1-4)
CR: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 3-4 (Small), 5-9 (Medium-size)

Blood drain (Ex): On a second successful grapple check after grabbing, the leech attaches its sucker-like mouth to its opponent. It automatically deals bite damage each round and drains blood, dealing another 1d3 points of temporary Constitution damage. The leech can be ripped off (dealing 2 points of damage to its victim) with a successful Strength check (DC 12). It will detach itself when slain, or after draining 6 points of Constitution.


EDIT: Str, damage, blood drain rules

 

[Devon]

Minimum Weapon Damage

If penalties to damage bring the damage result below 1, a hit still deals 1 point of damage.

Not to worry -- even with a STR penalty, the creature will deal at least 1 pt of damage.

- Devon

 

[Sixten]

Originally posted by Devon
Not to worry -- even with a STR penalty, the creature will deal at least 1 pt of damage.

Good point.

I thought that there might be such a rule, but I couldn't figure out where to find it. (Finally did now once I knew what to search for in the SRD.)

 

[DnDChick]

Re: #2: the leech

Blood drain (Ex):On a second successful grapple check after grabbing, the leech attaches its sucker-like mouth to its opponent. It automatically deals bite damage and drains blood, dealing another 1d3 damage each round. The leech can be ripped off (dealing 2 points of damage) with a successful Strength check (DC 11) or will detach itself when slain.

All the stuff looks good, Sixten, but Blood Drain normally deals temporary Constitution damage.

Check the entries for the Stirge and Dire Weasel in the Monster Manual, and model the giant leech's blood draining after them.

Also, how did you determine the DC for the Strength check to remove it?

The DC should probably be 10 + 1/2HD + Str Bonus. This leaves the DC at 9. That is a bit low.

Are you stuck on the Str6 for the giant leech? Its a 3HD critter, and even though it's small you can give it a higher Str score than that.

That would be my suggestion, BTW...Str10 or more.

Other than that, it looks good.

 

[Sixten]

Re: Re: #2: the leech

Blood Drain normally deals temporary Constitution damage.

I noticed that. I guess that ability damage is prevalent enough in 3E that's it's not such a big deal, but that seems like such a potent ability to give to something like this. Also -- and I realize this isn't the best reason -- but that's not how the OD&D monster worked.

(On the other hand, the OD&D version was a 6 HD creature, and the only way to remove it was killing it. So maybe this could use a little better blood drain.)

Also, how did you determine the DC for the Strength check to remove it?

I saw that it came out to 9 and fudged it.

Are you stuck on the Str6 for the giant leech? Its a 3HD critter, and even though it's small you can give it a higher Str score than that.

Not stuck on it, no, but it seems sort of weird to be giving something this small and generally wussy above-human-average Strength. Does that sort of thing happen often, in your experience?

 

[DnDChick]

Re: Re: Re: #2: the leech

Not stuck on it, no, but it seems sort of weird to be giving something this small and generally wussy above-human-average Strength. Does that sort of thing happen often, in your experience?

How about a Small halfing or gnome, with a maximum Strength score of 16? Higher than that if they put their bonus ability score points towards Strength every 4 levels. For Small monsters, the Choker has a Str of 16, and the juvenile Arrowhawk has a Str of 12. There are other examples, but all in all it is ok to give a Small creature what seems to be an unusually high Str score.

Also, the 3e method of blood drain does Con damage, so you should remain consistant with that. Just because the original version of a creature did hit point damage with blood drain does't mean you have to convert it that way. For example, the 1e Stirge did hit point damage with its blood drain, and now does Con damage.

 

[Sixten]

Re: #2: the leech

There are other examples, but all in all it is ok to give a Small creature what seems to be an unusually high Str score.

Oh, sure. My concern wasn't so much about whether a Small creature could have a high Str as whether it seemed appropriate for a couple-foot-long leech.

OTOH, since it's very unlikely that that Str score will be used for anything except setting that DC, it's probably not a big deal.

Also, the 3e method of blood drain does Con damage, so you should remain consistant with that.

Yeah. And, thankfully, the module I'm converting these for is mid-level, so the clerics should be able to cast a couple of heal spells after this encounter to patch people up.

I'll edit the leech a little later today. Thanks, Erica!

 

[Sixten]

Revised leech

I've edited the leech entry to take into account Erica's feedback. I've given it a 12 Str, and updated the blood drain ability to do Con damage. I've also taken another element from the stirge, and built in a shutoff for the leech -- it'll stop draining after 6 points of Con. (Of course, I'm not sure that this is consistent with how real leeches behave...)

How's this look now?

 

[bobh]

Termite, Swamp

Ink spray (Ex): The termite does not bite unless cornered; instead, it uses an inky spray for defense. When frightened above water, a ranged touch attack must be made. A victim hit by the spray must make a Fortitude save (DC 10) or be paralyzed for 2d6 minutes. Underwater, the ink instead forms a spherical cloud roughly 5 ft. in diameter. Creatures inside the cloud are considered blinded under they move outside of it. The ink cloud will dissipate after 1d4 minutes. [/B]

A ranged touch paralysis attack lasting 2d6 minutes seems far, far too powerful for a CR 1/2 creature.