Special Conversion Thread: Plants

[Cleon]

Let's have Shade figure this out.

I fear that may be our only route out of this impasse.

As for the fireweed's attack, I could see it going three ways.

The fireweed absorbs heat from its surroundings to feed itself, but maybe it can release that heat back as a fire ray? Since it's effectively "wasting food", that explains why it only attacks in self-defense.

Alternatively, it could concentrate its heat-draining ability onto a single target, effectively shooting a "freeze ray". The problem with that is it doesn't explain why it doesn't try to freeze any hotblooded adventurer that ventures near it, simply to gain nourishment. The "freeze ray" could be inefficient I suppose, so it doesn't provide a net gain of energy to the plant.

Finally, the fire weed could simultaneously project stored heat and draw it back, rapidly oscillating its target's temperature - a "hot & cold ray" if you will.

Of the three, I now like the "fire ray" and the "hot & cold ray" the best.

 

[Shade]

The fireweed absorbs heat from its surroundings to feed itself, but maybe it can release that heat back as a fire ray? Since it's effectively "wasting food", that explains why it only attacks in self-defense.

I like this option best.

 

[Cleon]

I like this option best.

You're living down up to my expectations.

Shall we plug in "fire damage" and move on to arguing over the growth rate?

 

[freyar]

Yup.

I don't mind slowing down the growth rate, but I do feel like it should be a 5ft square per X hp fire damage absorbed.

 

[Shade]

I don't mind slowing down the growth rate, but I do feel like it should be a 5ft square per X hp fire damage absorbed.

I agree.

 

[freyar]

Well, Cleon quoted me above as saying 25 hp fire damage per 5 ft square (though I thought I said 1 die of damage). How does that number sound?

 

[Shade]

I find that acceptable.

 

[Cleon]

I find that acceptable.

Revising...

Fireweed (CR X)
Fireweed feeds on warmth and is immune to fire damage. It normally comes in patches covering YdY 5 foot squares, but each 25 hit points of fire damage it takes causes the patch to grow another 5 foot square. If attacked, a patch of fireweed defends itself with a heat ray - a +Z ranged touch attack with a range of 10 ft that does 1d4 fire damage plus 1 point of fire damage for every 5 ft. square after the first a patch of fireweed covers (e.g. a three square patch does 1d4+2 damage). A patch of fireweed has AC A and Y hit points per 5 ft. square. It is reduced in size by one square for every Y hit points of damage it takes.

Because fireweed is an effective insulator, underdark creatures value it for its ability to turn underground hotspots into fertile regions. Its respiration can help purify toxic air, making it doubly variable. As a result, anyone deliberately damaging fireweed may invoke the anger of nearby creatures.

...that leaves us its CR, size, ranged touch attack bonus, AC and hp to to decide on.

 

[Shade]

CR 1/2?

1d20 squares?

+2 ranged touch?

Hmm...most hazards don't have AC and hit points. Rather, they simply have a basic description of what destroys them.

 

[Cleon]

CR 1/2?

1d20 squares?

+2 ranged touch?

The area and touch bonus are OK by me.

Do we want to cap the heat ray damage? Otherwise a large patch will be doing a lot more than the original's 1-4.

Maybe at 1d4+5?

Hmm...most hazards don't have AC and hit points. Rather, they simply have a basic description of what destroys them.

The AD&D original is AC7 and 1 to 8 HD.

AC13 and 5 hp per square, with vulnerability to cold?