Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

I'll agree to dropping amphibious. If you want to put in a rumor about developing amphibious traits, I'd go for that but only in the description (not mechanics).

Let's cut blindsight and give it blindsense. That would be useful for a bottom feeder, I'd think.

Agreed.

Do we keep the original cetacean's 120 ft. range and racial bonuses to Listen and Spot?

 

[freyar]

Let's make these somehow more primitive. I feel like a 60 ft range would be sufficient. I'd probably cut the Spot bonus and I guess the Listen one also, given that it's got blindsense, but you could convince me otherwise.

 

[Cleon]

Let's make these somehow more primitive. I feel like a 60 ft range would be sufficient. I'd probably cut the Spot bonus and I guess the Listen one also, given that it's got blindsense, but you could convince me otherwise.

So just give it the standard racial skill bumf for having a Swim speed and leave it at that?

I can live with that, but I think I'd rather give it some kind of Hide bonus.

The CC conversion of the Mastodonsaurus has a racial bonus to Hide plus the "lie submerged" trick, so I think we ought to give our beastie the same.

*A mastodonsaurus gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in the water. Further, a mastodonsaurus can lie in the water with only its eyes and nostrils showing, gaining a +10 cover bonus on Hide checks.

Actually, the Hook Island Monster was partly buried in sand, so I think we ought to let the Yellow Belly do the same. We can borrow the text from the Sea Bat:

*When it is lying still along the seafloor, a sea bat has a +12 racial bonus on Hide checks. Further, a sea bat can bury itself in silt or mud with only its eyes showing, gaining a +10 cover bonus on Hide checks.

 

[freyar]

The Mastodonsaurus and Sea Bat both have that cover bonus. Anyway, I like this idea. Want to go with the racial Hide bonus in the water or a bigger one when lying on the seafloor? I think I'd pick the latter, like the Sea Bat.

 

[Cleon]

The Mastodonsaurus and Sea Bat both have that cover bonus. Anyway, I like this idea. Want to go with the racial Hide bonus in the water or a bigger one when lying on the seafloor? I think I'd pick the latter, like the Sea Bat.

I was proposing the "lying on seafloor" version, so that's fine by me.

 

[freyar]

OK, are we ready to deal with feats?

 

[Cleon]

OK, are we ready to deal with feats?

Updating the Yellow Belly Working Draft.

We are still cutting the whale's Listen & Spot bonus aren't we?

As for the feats, the Whale has Alertness, Diehard, Endurance, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Toughness. I think we can do without the Improved Natural Attack (bite) and Toughness feats, but might as well keep the others. That leaves four. Any preferences?

 

[Cleon]

Updating the Yellow Belly Working Draft.

We've still got a couple of details of the special attacks to sort out - a damage for the Swallow Whole and a range for the Vortex Maw.

Maybe 6d6+12 crushing plus 8 acid for the Swallow Whole?

A 30 ft. or 40 ft. cone for the Vortex Maw? I think we need something fairly big.

 

[freyar]

Yes --- I said

Let's make these somehow more primitive. I feel like a 60 ft range would be sufficient. I'd probably cut the Spot bonus and I guess the Listen one also, given that it's got blindsense, but you could convince me otherwise.

Agreed on the feats. There aren't a lot that really match the low-Int primitive vibe of these, but maybe Iron Will, Blind Fight, and Weapon Focus (bite) would work. I don't have any thoughts about the last one.

 

[Cleon]

Yes --- I said

So are you still wanting to reduce the Blindsense range?

Agreed on the feats. There aren't a lot that really match the low-Int primitive vibe of these, but maybe Iron Will, Blind Fight, and Weapon Focus (bite) would work. I don't have any thoughts about the last one.

Maybe Stealth and/or Skill Focus (Hide) to add to its ambush ability?

I feel a +21 bite attack is high enough, so would be OK dropping Weapon Focus (bite). If you want an attack-boosting feat we could always go for Improved Critical.

What about the Swallow damage and Vortex range questions?