This is begging for a giant version

[Cleon]

Nice! Ready to move on...

Updated Working Draft.

I don't think we checked the Dragon magazine version of the Giant Dragonfly for anything worth stealing, but if you're happy with the current version I'm fine moving on to the Nymph.

 

[freyar]

I think we're ready for the nymph.

 

[Cleon]

I think we're ready for the nymph.

Fine by me.

They're pretty tough according to their MC5 stats.

I'd lower the Dex and increase the NA to account for them having the same AC.

Increase the bite damage by 1 step and add a Jet special quality. The Jet can be used for move actions (including a charge?) since they can Jet out to attack prey.

I reckon they ought to have Improved Grab & Gnaw like an adult.

Some kind of camouflage ability or a racial bonus to hide.

Speed 20 ft., Swim 10 ft. (Swim 60 ft. when Jetting for 1 round?).

 

[freyar]

Weird that they're nastier than the adults in some ways. Well, all those proposed changes work for me.

 

[Cleon]

Weird that they're nastier than the adults in some ways. Well, all those proposed changes work for me.

Not really, Dragonfly Nymphs are pretty vicious.

Should we give them some special attack for their "mask"?

A Dragonfly Nymph has a "lower lip" (Labium) which folds under their body and covers their mandibles. It ends in sharply-hooked jaws. They can shoot the mask our in an eye-blink to impale prey and drag it in to be devoured.

 

[freyar]

Sure, we could base it off something like a cave fisher.

 

[Cleon]

Sure, we could base it off something like a cave fisher.

It's not a sticky attack like a Cave Fisher's. The Nymph shoots out the lower part of its face and impales prey on it.

I'm thinking the standard Dragonfly's Improved Grab and Gnaw should be enough to cover it.

I suppose we could give it an attack bonus or initiative bonus for that attack, but it seems a bit of a stretch.

Speaking of stretching, the Labium can reach further than the mandibles, but it's only like a third or a quarter of the Nymph's body length, tops. That's no further than the reach of a Praying Mantis or Assassin Bug's raptorial forelimbs, so I don't think it merits an increased Reach.

 

[Shade]

Speaking of stretching, the Labium...

What have you all been up to while I've been busy?!?!

 

[Cleon]

What have you all been up to while I've been busy?!?!

Innocently amusing myself, I assure you.

Funnily enough, I did wonder whether anyone else would find the use of the word unsalubrious, which is the main reason I started calling that part of the Nymph a "mask".

Anyhow, I'm about ready to post a working draft but I think we need to decide on the headline name - Dragonfly Nymph or Dragonfly Larva? The MC5 entry uses Larva (Nymph), but that seems ungainly.

While I prefer Nymph, Larva seems to have precedence, so I suggest following MC5's precedent by using Larva and having the flavour text start "Dragonfly larvae are sometimes called nymphs."

 

[Cleon]

Updated Working Draft.

I don't think we checked the Dragon magazine version of the Giant Dragonfly for anything worth stealing, but if you're happy with the current version I'm fine moving on to the Nymph.

By the way, I fixed a couple of minor statblock errors left over from Terrors of the Deadlands. It still had the 10 ft. space of that version (which was large) and "Special Attack:" instead of "Special Attacks:".

None of you lot noticed them, I'm marking you down in your end-of-term report!