Special Conversion Thread: Plants

[Cleon]

Now is the clubthorn done?

Well, unless you fancy doing all the other sizes from a 2HD Medium Sapling to a 17 HD Colossal Ancient Tree?

You don't need to bother if you don't want to, since I've statted them up already.

Apart from that, the only bit that looks a bit off to me is spelling pummelling with one L, but I believe that's the fashion on your side of the Atlantic.

 

[Cleon]

Well, the tougher tendriculos has 3d6 rounds, but only for swallow whole. How about 1d6 for this? If it were just a smaller tendriculos, I'd probably go with 2d6 rounds, but I think we should reduce it more because of the tendrils getting paralysis too.

Yes, 1d6 paralysis should be nasty enough.

Apart from that there's the following:

It's still got a question mark after "Any plains" in environment - I didn't know what the weather was like on the disk world of Plata.

"A typical strangler grows to x feet in diameter."

The text says they average 25 feet, which seems about right. Do we want a weight as well? Downsizing a Tendriculos would make them ~500 pounds, but they've got longer tendrils to I'd increase that weight a bit.

That'd give us "A typical strangler grows to 25 feet in diameter and weighs about 600 pounds."

 

[Shade]

Here's what I could find on Plata:

Plata
Type: Earth
Size: E
Shape: Disc
Sources: SJR4 Practical Planetology p46
Description and Notes:
This discworld is dominated by the aarakocra, who are
spelljammer aware and call themselves sthe Chilterik. They have no
world-spanning government, but when the humanoid fleets tried to conquer
Plata during the First Unhuman War, the aarakocra defeated them. The
remnants of that fleet, orcs, goblins, and other humanoids, remain on
the planet.

It sounds like it is similar to Earth, so presumably has a variety of climes. We might simply borrow the aarakocra's environment (Warm and temperate mountains).

Does that work?

 

[Cleon]

It sounds like it is similar to Earth, so presumably has a variety of climes. We might simply borrow the aarakocra's environment (Warm and temperate mountains).

Does that work?

The AD&D Strangler has "CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Plains" so we'd better not use mountains.

How about adding the aarakocra's climate to plains and making it:

Environment: Warm and temperate plains

 

[Shade]

Sounds good. Updated. It looks like we're finished. That one was easy.

WEED GIANT
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: //6"
HIT DICE: 8 (brain only)
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Incidental
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 arm strike
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-16
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Buffeting
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Hidden vulnerable part, weapons resistances
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Semi-
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L (12’ tall)
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
Attack/Defense Modes: Nil
LEVEL/X.P. VALUE: VI/725 + 10/hp

This creature is not a true giant, but is actually a composition of several hundred strands of semi-intelligent seaweed. The weed giant is not rooted and, although it gains food in the manner that regular seaweed does (i.e., through nutrients in the water), it also feeds by entrapping creatures or other plants in its strands and decomposing them with its digestive secretions. The weed giant then absorbs its victim(s) through its strands. In this manner, the weed giant is similar to an aquatic variation of a shambling mound.

Though composed of vegetable matter, the weed giant is an intelligent lifeform; it thinks and acts with the same instincts and drives that many animals do. The brain of this creature is at the center of its weed structure; it is from this point that the strands emanate. In order to kill a weed giant, a successful attack must be made against the creature’s brain rather than against its kelp strands. Attacks made against the creature’s brain are against AC 3; all other attacks are against AC 9, but do not effective hit-point damage to the monster, merely cutting away strands of weed which grow back in full in 1-4 weeks. The brain can be attacked at random 10% of the time (roll this chance before rolling to hit the necessary armor class); because the brain is mobile, it is virtually impossible to attack directly (in a nonrandom fashion).

In combat, the weed giant does 2-16 hp damage on a strike with its weedy appendages (“arms” or “legs”); if the creature misses, the displacement of water forces the victim away from the weed giant (a distance equal to 4-24.) unless a save is made vs. paralysis. This water buffeting can also be employed by the weed giant to deflect any missile fire from any engine smaller than a ballista. However, unless the missiles strike the brain, they cause no damage to the weed giant at all. All edged weapons (except magical) cause only half damage against this creature; blunt weapons cause no damage at all.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #116 (1986).

 

[Cleon]

Sounds good. Updated. It looks like we're finished. That one was easy.

I'm thinking the "Once inside, the opponent takes 1d10+5 points of crushing damage per round plus 4 points of acid damage, as well as being exposed to its paralysis attack." in its Swallow Whole attack is a little clumsily worded. Perhaps change it to:

Swallow Whole (Ex): A strangler can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of a smaller size than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 1d10+5 points of crushing damage per round plus 4 points of acid damage, as well as being exposed to the strangler's paralysis attack. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by dealing 20 points of damage to the plant's interior (AC 13). Once the creature exits, muscular action close the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Large strangler's interior can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny or 128 Diminutive smaller creatures.

Apart from that I'm happy with it.

 

[Cleon]

WEED GIANT

Okay, the tricky thing about this one is its "Hidden Vulnerable Part". The rest of it looks pretty straightforward.

Statwise I'm thinking we should base it on a Shambling Mound. That's already a Large 8HD Plant, so we don't need to do much to it.

I'm seeing the following:

Aquatic Subtype.

Swim speed 20ft.

Semi-Intelligent instead of a Shambler's Low Intelligence, so cut Int to 3.

Cut its natural armour to +6.

Immunity to blunt weapons or high DR/blunt?

The protection from missiles effect sounds like its creating a localised, watery version of a windstorm. Maybe do something with that.

 

[freyar]

The first bunch of Cleon's comments sound spot on.

I'd go with maybe immunity to bludgeoning and DR X/piercing or magic (half damage mechanics strike me as a bit odd in 3.5), but I could just see just dropping the immunity too.

The watery windstorm bit also needs to push creatures. So it needs to be based on high winds if we go that route. I think we also had some vortex abilities we wrote up for some (maybe prehistoric) aquatic critters a while back that we could modify maybe.

The hidden brain makes me think of the "airy" ability that just created a miss chance for a creature with a lot of space between vulnerable parts.

 

[Cleon]

The first bunch of Cleon's comments sound spot on.

I'd go with maybe immunity to bludgeoning and DR X/piercing or magic (half damage mechanics strike me as a bit odd in 3.5), but I could just see just dropping the immunity too.

Something like DR 10/piercing or 15/piercing feels the best approach to me, since an attacker needs to penetrate to the core of the monster to actually injure it.

The watery windstorm bit also needs to push creatures. So it needs to be based on high winds if we go that route. I think we also had some vortex abilities we wrote up for some (maybe prehistoric) aquatic critters a while back that we could modify maybe.

The way the original's written up perhaps we should split it into two special abilities, a "Water Screen" it can throw up to deflect missiles and some kind of "Wash Away" special attack that knocks back the target of its slam attack.

I'm not sure about the "Wash Away" only working if it misses like in the original monster.

Does the Weed Giant somehow hold onto its target if it hits, preventing the wave-force of its blow driving them away? If so, should it get Improved Grab?

The hidden brain makes me think of the "airy" ability that just created a miss chance for a creature with a lot of space between vulnerable parts.

Give the core the equivalent of Total Concealment (50% miss), since the attacker doesn't know where it is in the body?

 

[freyar]

Dividing the vortex stuff into two abilities is probably a good way to go.

Figured out one place we used this ability before: the monstrous daddy long-legs. I think this is actually a good fit, with some renaming:

Long-Legged (Ex): Since a daddy longlegs is mostly long, thin legs, its space/reach is much larger than its actual body. As a result, it is difficult to to attack the creature. Any melee or ranged attack directed at a daddy longlegs has a 20% miss chance. Even a true seeing effect is useless for determining where and how to strike the creature.

20% miss chance plus DR seem mean enough? Or do you want full concealment in effect?