Spelljammer Converting Spelljammer creatures

[Arnwyn]

Yeah, that looks good.

I agree that we do indeed have the swarm version to attack larger creatures (and gives the swarm version a point to exist, so to speak, since they didn't really in 2e).

 

[Cleon]

Yeah, that looks good.

Updating Standard Gossamer Working Draft.

I agree that we do indeed have the swarm version to attack larger creatures (and gives the swarm version a point to exist, so to speak, since they didn't really in 2e).

On to the Swarm then!

The main question is how many Hit Dice do we give it?

The closest official creature is the Jellyfish Swarm in Stormwrack, but that has 12 Hit Dice which seems quite a lot - standard Gossamers are supposed to be fairly harmless.

Oh hold on, I just noticed the Stormwrack Jellyfish Swarm has a Skills entry that includes "A jellyfish swarm has a +8 racial bonus on Hide due to its near transparency".

Should we give the Gossamers a transparency bonus to Hide? It'd only apply when they turn off their natural "biolights", obviously.

 

[Arnwyn]

That's a good catch. I think it'd be appropriate, for sure.

 

[Cleon]

That's a good catch. I think it'd be appropriate, for sure.

Well the flavour text of the original makes no mention of them being hard to see, so I'm thinking we don't need it. It also indicates Gossamers are not very transparent, or at least Noble Gossamers aren't, since they have "pearly, translucent" bodies.

 

[freyar]

I wouldn't give them a Hide bonus, other than whatever Spelljammer critters get because space is, you know, dark.

The centipede swarm is probably the closest comparison in the SRD. That's 9HD, so I guess anywhere in the 7-10HD range that we like is ok. Also, looking at the SRD vermin makes me wonder if CR 1/4 is too high for the standard gossamer.

 

[Cleon]

I wouldn't give them a Hide bonus, other than whatever Spelljammer critters get because space is, you know, dark.

The centipede swarm is probably the closest comparison in the SRD. That's 9HD, so I guess anywhere in the 7-10HD range that we like is ok.

Well as I said earlier, the Stormwrack Jellyfish Swarm has 12 Hit Dice.

Although come to think of it, there is also a 2nd edition AD&D Jellyfish Swarm - the Sea Swarm in MCA2 - which "as a whole is treated as a single mature of 2 Hit Dice; exceptionally large gatherings can be treated as multiple swarms."

Hmm... how about adding the 2 HD of the AD&D version to the 12 HD of the 3E version and dividing the resulting 14 by two to its average of 7 HD.

That'd keep it within the 7-10 HD range you mentioned earlier.

Also, looking at the SRD vermin makes me wonder if CR 1/4 is too high for the standard gossamer.

Hmm, probably.

They're weaker than a Small Centipede which has roughly equivalent poison damage and reach and doesn't suffer from that "melts on contact" weakness.

So what do you fancy, Challenge Rating 1/6 or 1/8?

 

[Arnwyn]

I'd prefer something close to the Stormwrack Jellyfish swarm and closer to 12 HD. 7 HD is... meh. There's enough of that. I'd like at least one set of 'space jellyfish' that's somewhat dangerous and comparable to what groundlings face. (If it were truly up to me, I'd have them have even more HD, because space is supposed to be dangerous.)

 

[Cleon]

I'd prefer something close to the Stormwrack Jellyfish swarm and closer to 12 HD. 7 HD is... meh. There's enough of that. I'd like at least one set of 'space jellyfish' that's somewhat dangerous and comparable to what groundlings face. (If it were truly up to me, I'd have them have even more HD, because space is supposed to be dangerous.)

So it's got one for 7 HD, one for 9 HD and one for 12 HD.

Nice that we're all so agreed!

I'd prefer the lower HD version, since the original is a pretty inoffensive creature.

How do you fancy resolving the problem - perhaps a dodecahedral-off?

 

[freyar]

I think the standard gossamer might make more sense at CR 1/8.

Well, I'd choose 12HD over 7HD, I guess. We should just make them more dangerous somehow.

 

[Cleon]

I think the standard gossamer might make more sense at CR 1/8.

I was leaning more towards 1/6 but don't much mind either way.

I suppose the Voidborn trait it enough to downgrade them Challenge Rating wise, since they'll collapse and die as soon as they attack anything adventurer size.

Updating Standard Gossamer Working Draft.

Well, I'd choose 12HD over 7HD, I guess. We should just make them more dangerous somehow.

Let's go for that then.

We can always increase the acid damage and the effectiveness of its poison if we want to make them more dangerous.