Vermin!

[Sixten]

Continuing with my conversions of big fauna...

Monstrous Spider, Tarantella

Medium-size Vermin
HD: 4d8+4 (22 hp)
Initiative: +3 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft.
AC: 15 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: Bite +6 melee
Damage: Bite 1d6 and poison
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Vermin
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 17, Con 12, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 5
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +10, Jump +6, Spot +11
Feats: Weapon finesse (bite)
Climate/Terrain: Temperate and warm forest and underground
Organization: Solitary or Pod (1-3)
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: 10% chance of 1-100 cp and 1-100 sp, 5% chance of carrying 1 gem, and 5% chance of any item
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: -

The monstrous tarantella does not spin webs. Rather, it is a hunting spider with a unique venom.

Poison (Su): The bite of a tarantella causes painful spasms that resemble a frantic dance. The victim may make a Fortitude save (DC 15) to negate the effect. If the save is failed, the victim, suffers a -2 circumstance penalty to all attack rolls, checks, and Reflex saves, and opponents gain a +2 circumstance bonus on rolls to hit the affected creature. The "dance" will continue for 2d6 x 10 minutes. However, the victim will tire quickly, becoming fatigued after ten minutes, exhausted after thirty, and falling unconscious after an hour. Dispel magic or neutralize poison will stop the dancing.

Skills: Monstrous tarantellas receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks, a +6 racial bonus to Jump checks, and a +8 racial bonus to Spot checks.

EDIT: spelling; Ref save, poison DC, feat, AB

 

[Sixten]

Robber Fly

Small Vermin
HD: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
AC: 15 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +3 natural)
Attacks: Bite +3 melee
Damage: Bite 1d6-2
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Qualities: Vermin
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 13, Con 10, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 5
Skills: Hide +10, Spot +4
Feats: Weapon finesse (bite)
Climate/Terrain: Any temperate and warm land
Organization: Solitary or Swarm (2-12)
Challenge Rating: 1/2
Treasure: 10% chance of 1-100 cp and 1-100 sp, 5% chance of carrying 1 gem, and 5% chance of any item
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: -

A robber fly is a 3' long giant fly with black and yellow stripes. From a distance, robber flies look like killer bees. They are carnivores, and may attack adventurers. However, they prefer killer bees as food, and they are immune to their poison.

Skills: Robber flies gain a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks.


Tomorrow, I'm venturing out into truly unknown territory (to me, anyway!). So far I've had creatures to model my conversions on, or other people's efforts to compare with mine. But I couldn't really find anything to use for the giant leech and swamp termite, so I could really use some help with those.

 

[Psychotic Jim]

I would hate to have these things invade a picnic . On the tarantella, you might want to give it Weapon finesse (bite) since the normal Medium-Sized monstrous spider has this. The Reflex save should be +4. The skills are a bit wonky on it; the Climb skill is way too high unless the tarantella gets a racial bonus for this skill. The save DC for the poison should be DC 15 (1/2HD + Con Modifier +2 for being a Medium-sized vermin). The spasm/dance poison is a nice touch.

The robber fly looks good except the attack bonus should be +2 and you might want to add a Climb skill if it can climb like other flies can.

 

[pyrobob]

its spelled tarantula. Ha! got that correction right! Boo-yah!

 

[BOZ]

according to the dictionary, the tarantella is an Italian dance.

 

[DnDChick]

And I'll add to that, Boz. There is a large spider that lives around the Mediterranean Sea that people once believed would send you into a fit-like dance if it bit you. Thus, the spider picked up the name of the dance, Tarantella.

This became "tarantula" when translated to Spanish, and became the name attached to any very large species of spider.

TA-DAAA!

<curtsey>

 

[Sixten]

On the tarantella, you might want to give it Weapon finesse (bite) since the normal Medium-Sized monstrous spider has this. The Reflex save should be +4.

Both good points.

The skills are a bit wonky on it; the Climb skill is way too high unless the tarantella gets a racial bonus for this skill.

The Climb skill is the same as the Medium-size Monstrous Spider in the SRD. You're right that it seems to break the rules, though. (I'm guessing that they just forgot to mention the racial bonus.)

The save DC for the poison should be DC 15 (1/2HD + Con Modifier +2 for being a Medium-sized vermin).

Yup. I think this was another victim of the 1/2 EHD mistake.

The robber fly looks good except the attack bonus should be +2 and you might want to add a Climb skill if it can climb like other flies can.

AB = 3/4 HD + mods = (3/4 * 2) + mods = 1 + 1 (size) + 1 (Dex) = +3, no?

What other flies?

 

[pyrobob]

oh, c'mon! through me a frickin' bone here!