More vermin! (please help?)

[Sixten]

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

Heh. I'm not sure I disagree with you, but I'm not sure I have a good handle on assigning CRs yet. FWIW, this is pretty faithful to the OD&D version (though that was a normal attack roll, and a flat 10 minute duration). Saving throw DC is pretty low, too.

What CR would you suggest for this beastie as it stands?

 

[Devon]

I can't see assigning anything higher than CR 2, although CR 1 is more appropriate, as per the Dragon article's CR guidelines. This is one of those low-powered creatures that can be either really annoying, or a total wash, and playtesting will doubtless point the way.

So, yeah, CR 1 is probably best, but CR 2 may work out to be more appropriate.

- Devon

 

[bobh]

Re: Re: More vermin! (please help?)

Heh. I'm not sure I disagree with you, but I'm not sure I have a good handle on assigning CRs yet. FWIW, this is pretty faithful to the OD&D version (though that was a normal attack roll, and a flat 10 minute duration). Saving throw DC is pretty low, too.

What CR would you suggest for this beastie as it stands?

I just can't see a tiny vermin like this even having a ranged touch paralysis attack. How would that even operate? About the only way I can see it working is if it fires a blob at something that explodes into a gas, which then penetrates the flesh. But this is a tiny creature, so it's not going to be able to fire much material. Maybe a tenth of a liter or less. Plus the substance works as an ink cloud underwater, so it's serving double duty as well.

So I guess my point is that such a creature is probably physiologically impossible unless you make the effect magical. A much larger creature might be able to pull it off, but then your HD would go up, as would your CR.

 

[Sixten]

So I guess my point is that such a creature is probably physiologically impossible unless you make the effect magical. A much larger creature might be able to pull it off, but then your HD would go up, as would your CR.

I see your point, I do, but it's sort of immaterial. The point of the exercise is to convert the OD&D giant termite to d20 stats. Whether or not the effect is physiologically plausible or possible (whatever that means in a world populated by the contents of the MM) is really rather academic. Especially given that the attitude of WotC's conversion policy is essentially "do as much as absolutely necessary, and no more."

Soo... about the most one can do is translate the stats and special abilities as given in the original stats, and set the CR to match.

 

[Devon]

So I guess my point is that such a creature is probably physiologically impossible

I have trouble with the Cave Fisher's "biological winch" myself (as well as the "air-bladder-plus-biological-winch" setup on the Bonespear of Planescape lore), so I believe that a chemical spray, coupled with the weak save DC, is not too far outside the pale.

Also, keep in mind that a Tiny creature is about the size of a cat. We already have snakes which spit some pretty noxious stuff -- this is a pretty large insect, compared with those with which we normally have experience.

Plus, as Sixten tells us, this is a conversion of a critter from another source (OD&D, in this case), and so it should probably be converted in line with the spirit of the original source. In a game as fantastical and varied as the D&D universe, questions about physical possibility and physiological purity are academic.

What we should really have is the range on the ink spray.
Cheers,

- Devon

 

[Sixten]

What we should really have is the range on the ink spray.

Ah. Good point. The source creature doesn't have one listed, but I'd say that anything more than about 5 ft is probably too much.

 

[Devon]

Five feet, eh? Not too dangerous, then. I'd keep the CR at 1 or below -- the ink spray seems no more powerful than a melee touch attack.

- Devon