Spelljammer Converting Spelljammer creatures

[freyar]

Well, sticking to the standard one, I'll go for Diminutive also. I'd set the Dex to 10 probably, along with Wis 10. The extraordinary reach is good. I'd probably remove the "shoal" option from the organization, since that's what the swarm's for.

 

[Arnwyn]

When we get around to the Noble, does the "Hit Dice: 58" mean they are actually meant to have "fifty eight" Hit Dice, or is it a missing hyphen typo and the original was intended to be "five to eight" Hit Dice?

What am I thinking, the THAC0: 3* answers that question. If it had 5-8 Hit Dice it'd have THAC0 15 or 13, so they really do have 58 HD.

Along with the 49,000 XP!

It just seemed an odd number of Hit Dice for them to have. Why not something more even like 50 or 56?

Welcome to Spelljammer!


(For the record, I like Aberration as well.)

 

[Cleon]

Well, sticking to the standard one, I'll go for Diminutive also. I'd set the Dex to 10 probably, along with Wis 10. The extraordinary reach is good. I'd probably remove the "shoal" option from the organization, since that's what the swarm's for.

I don't mind giving them Wisdom 10 but feel they ought to have a pathetic Dexterity - jellyfish are not noted for their reflexes or agility.

I set it at 2 because that gives them AC 10 like the original.

The "shoal" organization is their group name in the MC9, as is the number of 20-200.

I'd like to keep that because the original description indicates they're basically passive creatures that avoid fighting. Also, they appear to be filter-feeders that live off "space plankton and detritus", so they would have trouble gathering enough food if they were compressed together in a swarm.

I'm thinking a swarm of these things is an exceptionally rare event. Either a shoal of gossamers is so hungry it packs together to risk larger prey, they're gathering to breed, or maybe this is how Gossamer Nobles are created. Gossamer Nobles are colony creatures, so maybe they're colonies comprised of swarms of Standard Gossamers fused together?

It'd probably be better not giving a definite reason for why these things swarm, and just mention the above as "possibilities theorized by some space sages".

 

[freyar]

You know, mathematically speaking, 58 HD is just as even as 50 or 56.

I'm just not very fond of an organization of up to 200 as a shoal. I know that the swarm is many more critters than that, but I think the intent was that a shoal is "that's too many to be bothered with counting," that that's the function of a swarm. It's just not reasonable to expect a combat or other interaction with 200 individuals. While the numbers wouldn't match up with the original, I think it's better to follow the intent of the original monster rather than the hard number.

 

[Cleon]

You know, mathematically speaking, 58 HD is just as even as 50 or 56.

Technically correct, which is the best sort of correct.

I thought after posting it that I should have used another word, but it seemed too much bother editing it.

I'm just not very fond of an organization of up to 200 as a shoal. I know that the swarm is many more critters than that, but I think the intent was that a shoal is "that's too many to be bothered with counting," that that's the function of a swarm. It's just not reasonable to expect a combat or other interaction with 200 individuals. While the numbers wouldn't match up with the original, I think it's better to follow the intent of the original monster rather than the hard number.

Well how about leaving it up to the DM by not quoting an upper limit? e.g.:

Individual Gossamers:
Organization: Solitary, cluster (2-20), or shoal (20+)

Gossamer Swarms:
Organization: Solitary or colony (2-20)?

 

[freyar]

I notice I forgot to reply to the Dex issue --- based on your logic, low Dex is ok.

I'm ok for that organization as long as we note somewhere in the flavor text that a gossamer swarm is also sometimes known as a shoal.

 

[Cleon]

I notice I forgot to reply to the Dex issue --- based on your logic, low Dex is ok.

I'm ok for that organization as long as we note somewhere in the flavor text that a gossamer swarm is also sometimes known as a shoal.

Works for me.

Anything else we want to decide about the basics, or shall we move on to the special abilities?

They only need a poison attack and some ability to survive in space. The "spelljamming" is only for the Noble Gossamer.

 

[freyar]

Starborn like the gammaroid should work.

The poison is a "nauseating paralytic poison. A saving throw versus poison offsets the allergic reaction." But that doesn't let them kill anything with the poison --- though I guess a paralyzed victim may get killed by many 1hp stings. Anyway, I wouldn't mind adding some Con damage too. What do you think?

 

[Cleon]

Starborn like the gammaroid should work.

It wouldn't work as written.

The Gammaroids' Starborn trait gives it immunity to pressure.

Standard Gossamers are very sensitive to pressure going by their original description - their bodies are mostly "empty space" (e.g. vacuum) and they collapse and die if they enter an air envelope.

Presumably Noble Gossamers are somewhat hardier since they're able to attack small spelljamming ships without expiring.

The poison is a "nauseating paralytic poison. A saving throw versus poison offsets the allergic reaction." But that doesn't let them kill anything with the poison --- though I guess a paralyzed victim may get killed by many 1hp stings. Anyway, I wouldn't mind adding some Con damage too. What do you think?

I'm wondering about making their "sting" a 1 point acid touch attack that also delivers poison. There's mention of gossamers using "enzymes" to damage and digest opponents, and making it a touch attack would (a) compensate for the pathetic -1 attack and (b) explain why the Noble has a better accuracy than the more formidable Gammaroid.

As for the actual poison, nauseating seems too much for such a low powered creature, so I'm thinking a low amount of Dex damage and maybe sickened as a secondary effect? Then the paralysis can be just a matter of enough Dex damage to bring Dex to 0.

 

[freyar]

What if we just strip out the pressure part and possibly rename the ability (for Starborn, I mean)?

A touch attack may work, though I'm not clear why it should get through armor. As for your poison suggestions, I'm amenable to 1 Dex/1 Dex plus sickened (or maybe even a bit more Dex) if you like.