My next project (#5)!

[demiurge1138]

Definately magical beast. Definately.

Large sharks have Alertness, Great Fortitude and Improved Initiative. I'd replace Alertness with Weapon Focus (bite), because of the blindsight.

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

sounds good. this one was easy, and so should be the next one:

#13
Small Animal
Hit Dice: Id8(4hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20-ft. (4 Squares)
Armor Class: 17 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +3 natural)
Base Attack:+1/-3
Attacks: Bite +4 melee, spit +4 ranged
Damage: Bite +4 melee (Id2-2) and poison or spit poison +4 ranged (see text).
Space/Reach: 5-ft. by 5-ft. (coiled)/5-ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Scent
Saves: Fort+2, Ref +5, Will +1
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Intl,Wis 12, Cha2
Skills: Balance+11, Climb+12, Hide +15, Listen +9, Spot +9
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Environment: Warm desert, warm plains, and underground
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: -
SNAKEs are among the most feared members of the cobra family. Though their venom is less likely to kill outright than that of, for example, the black mamba, the SNAKE can deliver its poison at range through its namesake spitting attack, and any creature struck in the face with a glob of SNAKE venom may be blinded.
Combat
SNAKEs are usually found under rocks in deserts or scrubland, and dislike being disturbed to the extent that they will usually spit first and ask questions later.
Spit (Ex): Instead of making a bite attack, a SNAKE may make a special venom-spitting attack against an opponent up to 10-ft. away.
Poison (Ex): Bite or spit, Fortitude save (DC 11), initial damage temporary blindness (lasts 2d6 minutes), secondary damage Id3 temporary Dexterity plus Id3 temporary Constitution plus permanent blindness.
Cold Vulnerability (Ex): SNAKEs are adapted to warm conditions, and do not cope with cold at all well. A SNAKE in a region with a temperate or cold climate is considered fatigued at all times (-2 Strength and Dexterity, cannot run). Furthermore, SNAKEs have a -4 racial penalty to all saving throws to resist the effects of cold conditions or cold-based attacks.
Skills: SNAKEs receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus to Balance checks. They use their Dexterity modifier for Climb checks.

 

[demiurge1138]

Actually, this one's not so simple...

BAB/Grapple should be +0/-6. It should get Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat because it doesn't qualify for it, so give it Skill Focus: Spot for its actual feat selection. This could be Alertness, except that snakes are, in fact, deaf (so the racial bonus to Listen should go out the window, too)

It also has way too many skill points. It should have 4 points, but has 21 as shown above. Its skills should be:
Balance +11 (+8 racial, +3 Dex)
Climb +4 (+3 Dex, +1 rank)
Hide +14 (+4 size, +4 racial, +3 Dex, +1 rank)
Spot +10 (+4 racial, +3 feat, +1 Wis, +2 ranks)

Of course, you could replace Skill Focus (Spot) with Alertness and keep a skill point and the racial bonus in Listen. I'm just saying it's not correct.

Oh, and cold vulnerability should also be in its SQ line, as should low-light vision.

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

I tend to forget that Weapon Finesse has a higher BAB requirement! Thanks for the reminder (I'm sure I'll forget again).

The snakes in the MM have Listen, so why let reality intrude now? might as well go with Alertness then.

It has a nonstandard cold vulnerability, similar to some recent conversions I've seen in magazines (I think the froghemoth, and either of the fungus monsters in the Zuggs article? Do you have either of those descriptions handy?)

 

[demiurge1138]

The Zuggy's basidrond has partial cold immunity (something similar to a golem's - no damage but slowed). Madtooth the froghemoth's partial electricity immunity is the same. You might want to take a page from them and make the SNAKE fatigued whenever it takes damage from a cold-based attack, deleting the penalty to saving throws and the auto-fatigue in temperate/cold areas (again letting pesky reality settle in, snakes don't have a problem in temperate climes, as long as they get enough time to sun themselves. Otherwise, they hibernate during the winter).

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

That wasn't quite what I was looking for, but it does put me on the right track. How about:

Cold Susceptibility (Ex): A SNAKE is fatigued for X (rounds/minutes) whenever it takes damage from a cold-based attack, with no saving throw.


and these:

Spit (Ex): Instead of making a bite attack, a spitting cobra may make a special venom-spitting attack against an opponent up to 10-ft. away.
Poison (Ex): Bite or spit, Fortitude save (DC 11), initial damage temporary blindness (lasts 2d6 minutes), secondary damage Id3 temporary Dexterity plus Id3 temporary Constitution plus permanent blindness.

Changing to:

Spit (Ex): A SNAKE may spit its venom up to 10 feet away as a ranged touch attack.
Poison (Ex): Contact, Fortitude DC 10, initial damage blindness for 2d6 minutes, secondary damage 1d3 Dex plus 1d3 Con plus permanent blindness. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Look about right?

 

[demiurge1138]

How about 1d4 minutes for the cold susceptibility?

And the new spit and poison entries look good (I missed the incorrect DC. I'm falling down on the job here)

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

nah, you're doing fine. with as many things as you point out and help me with, i'm finding just as many if not more that i deal with on my own silently.

next!

#14
Medium-size Elemental (Air)
HD: 6d8+6(33hp)
Initiative: +8 (+4 Dex,+4 Improved initiative)
Speed: Fly 100 ft (perfect) (20 Squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+4 Dex, +2 Natural Armor)
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+4
Attacks: Slam +8 melee
Damage: 1 slam +8 melee (2d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: Wind slam, summon elemental, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Higher elemental qualities, darkvision 60 ft
Saves: Fort +3, Ref+9,Will+2
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 19, Con 12, Int 14, Wis ll,Chall
Skills: Decipher Script +4, Escape Artist +8, Gather Information +2, Hide +10, Knowledge (any two) +4, Move Silently +14, Perform +4, Sense Motive +2, Spot +4, Tumble +6
Feats: Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, gang (2-8)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually Chaotic Neutral
Advancement: By character class.
These higher elementals are proof that scholarly pursuits are boring and stale. The ELEMENTALs are always in search of new knowledge, be it arcane lore or casual gossip. They share all they learn with each other and with others depending on each ELEMENTAL's whims. ELEMENTALs resemble waifish females, their light-tinted skin tones still discernible in their translucent form. They wear long robes made of clouds that trail behind them as they fly. They speak in soft whispers and laugh like the rain, but for all their gentleness, their patience is a hair's breadth from infinite, and when exhausted they strike with the force of the hurricane.
In addition to the standard languages, ELEMENTALs speak Draconic and Auran.
ELEMENTALs prefer to talk before committing to combat and attack from afar unless it proves disadvantageous. Excellent tacticians, they work together to complement each other with precise efficiency, never letting combat drag on for longer than absolutely necessary.
Alternate Form (Su): The humanoid form of a ELEMENTAL is a human woman with very light and delicate features.
Wind Slam (Su): ELEMENTALs can shoot a powerful and invisible jet of wind at one enemy standing up to 60-ft. away. The slam causes 6d4 points of damage, and the target must roll a Reflex save (DC 14) or fall prone. A Fortitude save (DC 14) halves the damage.
Summon Elemental (Sp): Once per day a ELEMENTAL can attempt to summon 1d4 Medium-size air elementals with a 35% chance of success, or one invisible stalker with no chance of failure.
Spell-like Abilities: At will: breeze*; 3/day: detect magic, gust of wind, wind armor*; 2/day: detect thoughts, silence; I/week: whirlwind.
Skills: ELEMENTALs receive a +4 bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks.

 

[demiurge1138]

Hm... I'd personally get rid of the first line in the flavor text - it doesn't seem to have that much to do with anything. That said, actual statistics...

Wind Slam looks a little off. Is it a line? It is a ranged touch attack? Ranged touch seems to be closer to the mark. In that case, I'd allow the Reflex save to be for both half damage and to avoid being knocked prone.

Damage doesn't need a seperate line, especially since that line already has its attack bonus! I will assume that breeze and wind armor will be covered somewhere else in the finished product, or even in the monster entry. If not, it might be wise to replace them with more generic spells.

They have 32 skill points. They should have 36. You might want to put the last four into something that they're low on, like Sense Motive or Gather Information. And Perform should read Perform (any one).

Demiurge out.

 

[BOZ]

yeah, that first line didn't make much sense to me either.

the wind slam should probably not be a line, as it seems to affect only one target. should be a ray and/or ranged touch attack.

breeze and wind armor are from another book entirely, and are likely not going to be in the final product. i read somewhere what book they were from, but don't remember at the moment. will find that out shortly and ask around for good replacements.