Converting First Edition Monsters

Casimir Liber

Adventurer
Made a DnDbeyond entry for amblypygid here for completeness

Okay...here's a little critter.....original one just had a single bite attack which was at odds with the description...
 

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Cleon

Legend
Schizomid, Giant
Small beast, unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 7 (2d6)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft. (only loose strata such as earth, sand or leaves)

STR​
DEX​
CON​
INT​
WIS​
CHA​
10 (+0)​
14 (+2)​
10 (+0)​
1 (−5)​
9 (−1)​
3 (−4)​

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond that distance), passive Perception 13
Languages
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Eyeless. A schizomid is unaffected by effects that require sight.

Actions

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 10). The schizomid can grapple only one target at a time.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit (with Advantage if target grappled), reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.

Blinding Spray (Recharge 6). The schizomid shoots an acetic fluid from glands near its tail; any creature in a 20-foot line that is 5 feet wide must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, failure results in blindness for 1d6 rounds or until the target washes away the fluid.


Description
Also called short-tailed whip scorpions, schizomids are arachnids that resembles a cross between a scorpion and a spider. They have relatively soft bodies like a spider. Giant schizomids rarely grow more than 3 feet long and live in humid and lightless areas of jungles, forests and the underdark. They have eight legs and a pair of short but powerful pincers. A schizomid can spray a vinegar-stinking liquid from its abdomen; this can be aimed at opponents in front of it.

Schizomids are eyeless and hunt prey by scent and vibration. When they encounter another creature, they usually feel them with their forelegs to determine if it's a threat or a meal. They are sometimes eaten by larger carnivorous arachnids, such as giant amblypygids.

(Schizomids first appeared as Giant Pedipalps (Schizomida) in Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits (1980) by Gary Gygax and David C. Sutherland III, the original author was Sutherland)
 
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Cleon

Legend
Made a DnDbeyond entry for amblypygid here for completeness

Okay...here's a little critter.....original one just had a single bite attack which was at odds with the description...

Schizomid, Giant
Small beast, unaligned

Looks like we cross-posted!

My initial version had a multiattack forelegs/claws/bite but I decided that was overly complicated:

Multiattack. The schizomid makes a forelegs attack and a claws attack against the same target. If the forelegs attack hit, it gains Advantage on the claws attack.

Forelegs. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: no damage, but it gains Advantage on melee attack against the target until the end of the round.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 10). The schizomid can grapple only one target at a time.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit (with Advantage if target grappled), reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage.
 

Cleon

Legend
Made a DnDbeyond entry for amblypygid here for completeness

Okay...here's a little critter.....original one just had a single bite attack which was at odds with the description...

schizomid-png.148696


Interesting, so you went for a more harmless version than I did.

They're more analagous to uropygids than amblypygids, so I used the "Giant Vinegaroon" as a model.

Dang it, I forgot the Perception from my version. Updating the Giant Schizomid.
 

Casimir Liber

Adventurer
I lowered the AC to 11 as they were described as soft-bodied. Also based on the other thing you liked with them firing at targets a considerable distance away, went with that as a different model to uropygid. Makes them good missile attackers. Diversity and all that. Maybe used by drow or duergar....
 

Cleon

Legend
I lowered the AC to 11

I interpreted "soft-bodied" as meaning "they don't get a natural armour bonus" like, well, most humanoids.

They've got chitinous exoskeletons, so presumably their skin is tougher than a human as it has to support their weight and anchor their muscles.

Armor Class 11 would require a negative Armour Penalty. They'd get AC 12 from their +2 Dexterity bonus alone.
 


Casimir Liber

Adventurer
I interpreted "soft-bodied" as meaning "they don't get a natural armour bonus" like, well, most humanoids.

They've got chitinous exoskeletons, so presumably their skin is tougher than a human as it has to support their weight and anchor their muscles.

Armor Class 11 would require a negative Armour Penalty. They'd get AC 12 from their +2 Dexterity bonus alone.
good point - agree on 12. Okay do you like the idea of an accurate missile then for the spray...also good as they are weak in H2H combat
 

Cleon

Legend
Uropygid, Giant (Mastigoproctus)
Large beast, unaligned
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 52 (7d10 + 14)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft. (only loose strata such as earth, sand or leaves)

STR​
DEX​
CON​
INT​
WIS​
CHA​
16 (+3)​
14 (+2)​
14 (+2)​
1 (−5)​
9 (−1)​
3 (−4)​

Skills Perception +3
Damage Resistances acid, poison
Condition Immunities blinded, poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Actions

Multiattack. The mastigoproctus makes three attacks: two with its claws and one with its bite. If it hits the same target with both claws it gains Advantage on the bite attack.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 13). The mastigoproctus has two claws, each of which can grapple only one target.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit (with Advantage if target already grappled), reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage.

Acetic Spray (Recharge 5-6). The mastigoproctus shoots an acrid irritant fluid from glands near its tail; the spray can cover either a 20-foot cone or a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide; each creature sprayed must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, failure results in blindness for 1d6 rounds or until the target washes away the fluid.


Description
Uropygids are Thelyphonida, commonly called long-tailed whip scorpions or vinegaroons. Mastigoproctus is a particularly large genus of uropygid, and the giant version has a body about 12 feet long. Like other giant uropygids, it is a nocturnal scorpion-like arachnid found in damp and dark places such as jungles, forests and the underdark. An uropygid's tail and front legs are long and whip-like, it uses all three like antennae to feel about itself. Mastigoproctus have strong scorpion-like claws augmented with spikes for piercing prey.

Uropygids are named "vinegaroons" from the vinegar stink of a defensive liquid they squirt at enemies. The uropygid can spray this fluid in any direction it can bend its abdomen's tip, including in front of itself. A giant mastigoproctid is unaffected by this fluid and is highly resistant to all other forms of acid and poison.

Giant uropygids lair in burrows dug in earth or soft rock. Females seal themselves inside a hollow while nursing a clutch of 5d6+10 eggs, then carry their newborn hatchlings about on their backs.

Drow elves often keep giant mastigoproctids as guardians and hunting beasts. The dark elves have bred and magically tinkered with these "pets" for millenia and may be responsible for their resistance to venom and corrosives.

(Uropygids first appeared as Giant Pedipalps (Uropygi) in Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits (1980) by Gary Gygax and David C. Sutherland III, the original author was Sutherland)
 
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Casimir Liber

Adventurer
Heh, the ultimate critter - BTW hp should 45 not 39. Am thinking if different from baseline giant uropygid, I think a little more differnt would be good, so at least one more HD to make a bit more of a gap stat-wise - so 7d10 + 14 (52hp)?
 

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