Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Shade]

Yes, but there's "good" and there's "very likely to Total Party Kill its stunned victims", and I'd like to be reasonably sure it isn't the latter.

Maybe reduce the duration to 1d4 rounds, or have it so it can only Quakedance once per minute, or both?

Let's reduce the duration, and make it wait 1d4+1 rounds before it can use it again (like breath weapons).

 

[Cleon]

Let's reduce the duration, and make it wait 1d4+1 rounds before it can use it again (like breath weapons).

Sounds good!

 

[Shade]

Thus...

Quakedancing (Ex): As a full-round action, a quakedancer can shift its weight back and forth, gradually building up subsonic waves in the ground. After one full round, any creature within range must make a Fortitude save or be stunned for 2d4 rounds. (Radius and save DC vary depending on the quakedancer's age, as given in the table below.) Creatures with more HD than the quakedancer are immune to this effect, and flying creatures within range receive a +4 circumstance bonus on their Fortitude save. Unaffected creatures within range must continue to save as long as the quakedancer continues dancing. Once a quakedancer has completed its quakedancing, it can’t use this abilikty again until 1d4+1 rounds later. This is a sonic effect. The save DC is Strength-based.

 

[Cleon]

Thus...

Quakedancing (Ex): As a full-round action, a quakedancer can shift its weight back and forth, gradually building up subsonic waves in the ground. After one full round, any creature within range must make a Fortitude save or be stunned for 2d4 rounds. (Radius and save DC vary depending on the quakedancer's age, as given in the table below.) Creatures with more HD than the quakedancer are immune to this effect, and flying creatures within range receive a +4 circumstance bonus on their Fortitude save. Unaffected creatures within range must continue to save as long as the quakedancer continues dancing. Once a quakedancer has completed its quakedancing, it can’t use this abilikty again until 1d4+1 rounds later. This is a sonic effect. The save DC is Strength-based.

We were going to reduce the duration, but it's till 2d4 rounds.

 

[Shade]

We were going to reduce the duration, but it's till 2d4 rounds.

What should it be?

I only remember discussing the wait time between re-use.

 

[Cleon]

What should it be?

I only remember discussing the wait time between re-use.

Weren't we talking about 1d4 rounds, so on average there's a round's grace period for stunned creatures to recover and counter-attack before they're Quakedanced again?

 

[freyar]

I thought those were two separate discussions. But let's see. It may be necessary to do both. 2d4 is an average of 5 rounds stunned, but the dancer may need to dance say 3 rounds to knock everyone out. Then it can dance again in an average of 3 more rounds, but it takes a full round for the stunning to start again. So I would think it will on average give victims about a round before being stunned again. On the other hand, the dancer is free to attack for probably a couple rounds with everyone stunned.

i think that sounds roughly right according to the original text. The question is if we think that's too tough.

 

[Shade]

I thought those were two separate discussions. But let's see. It may be necessary to do both. 2d4 is an average of 5 rounds stunned, but the dancer may need to dance say 3 rounds to knock everyone out. Then it can dance again in an average of 3 more rounds, but it takes a full round for the stunning to start again. So I would think it will on average give victims about a round before being stunned again. On the other hand, the dancer is free to attack for probably a couple rounds with everyone stunned.

i think that sounds roughly right according to the original text. The question is if we think that's too tough.

I don't.

 

[freyar]

Then that's settled if Cleon agrees.

Next, it looks like they need Swallow Whole.

 

[Cleon]

I thought those were two separate discussions. But let's see. It may be necessary to do both. 2d4 is an average of 5 rounds stunned, but the dancer may need to dance say 3 rounds to knock everyone out. Then it can dance again in an average of 3 more rounds, but it takes a full round for the stunning to start again. So I would think it will on average give victims about a round before being stunned again. On the other hand, the dancer is free to attack for probably a couple rounds with everyone stunned.

Erm, where does the "dance say 3 rounds to knock everyone out" bit come from?

Under the new scheme doesn't it dance once and then must wait 2-5 rounds before it can dance again?

Reading the current SA the Quakedancer can only dance once before recuperation.

Also, shouldn't the dance be a full round action?

i think that sounds roughly right according to the original text. The question is if we think that's too tough.

Well, thinking it over I suppose 2d4 rounds isn't that bad. If it must wait 1d4+1 rounds and then take another round to dance, that's a dance every 4.5 rounds. Thus, at least some of the victims are likely to recover from its stun before it can quakedance again.

Still, I do favor something a little lower, like 1d6 or 1d4 rounds.

I know, how about if we have the duration vary by the power of the Quakedancer? e.g. the Elder has the full 2d4 rounds, the Adult 1d6 and the Juvenile 1d4 rounds?