Special Conversion Thread: Moldvay's Undead

[Cleon]

If you're keeping it in the same place, then, how about

Capsize Boat (Ex): Silkies in seal form can capsize boats. The silkie must succeed at a Strength check against a DC of (15 + length of boat in feet?) to tip the boat over. Silkies often use Aid Another actions when attempting to capsize a boat. Any unsecured occupants or cargo in a capsized boat ends up in the water.

Capsize Boat (Ex): Silkies in seal form can capsize boats. The silkie must succeed at a Strength check against a DC of (15 + length of boat in feet?) to tip the boat over. Silkies often use Aid Another actions to help another silkie attempting to capsize a boat. Any unsecured occupants or cargo in a capsized boat ends up in the water.

Are we still omitting Pack Tactics? I briefly toyed with the idea of something like:

Pack Tactics (Ex): Silkies in seal form have an instinctive gift for coordinated effort. If a silkie in seal form uses an Aid Another action on another silkie in seal form it gives a +3 bonus instead of the usual +2.

We should probably also look up DCs from similar abilities.

EDIT: I agree with splitting the two abilities and just mentioning the skin in alternate form. I'd let a silkie go make a new magic skin in Land Under Wave, assuming it can get back. Probably an expensive ritual, though.

Let's have a go at them then:

Alternate Form (Su): A silkie can assume the form of a handsome half-elf or an unusually large seal. It must be wearing its Magic Skin (see below) to assume seal form.

Magic Sealskin (Su): All silkies possess an enchanted sealskin which allows them to assume seal form (see Alternate Form, above). Should another creature steal this skin, the silkie is unable to attack them unless the skin's thief attacks the silkie first (as per the affect of the sanctuary spell). Furthermore, the silkie has a -4 penalty to resist all Charisma-based skills and saves against enchantment spells performed by the skin-thief.

If a silkie's sealskin is destroyed, the silkie is able to create a new one by performing an hour-long ritual in the Land Below Waves with the assistance of a silkie with a magic sealskin.

 

[freyar]

I think we're dropping pack tactics, but I like the rest. I still think we should look up other capsize abilities we've used before for the DC, but I can't remember which critters on the CC have it.

 

[Shade]

Creature Catalog - Preview Creature
Creature Catalog - Preview Creature

 

[freyar]

Urrph, those don't have DCs. Anyone care to flip through some MMs? I don't have enough time to do that...

 

[Shade]

Capsize (Ex): A submerged dragon turtle that surfaces under a boat or ship less than 20 feet long capsizes the vessel 95% of the time. It has a 50% chance to capsize a vessel from 20 to 60 feet long and a 20% chance to capsize one over 60 feet long.

Ramming (Ex): As a standard action during its turn each round, an ocean strider can swim at up to quadruple speed (240 feet) and ram a waterborne target (such as a ship or another creature). To ram, the ocean strider must end its movement in the target's space. This attack deals 2d8+6 points of damage. If the target is a creature, it can attempt either an attack of opportunity or a DC 29 Reflex save for half damage. The save DC is Strength-based.

Upon ramming a ship, the ocean strider can make a Strength check to breach its hull, which causes the ship to sink in 1d10 minutes. The break DC varies with the type of vessel rammed, as follows: rowboat DC 20, keelboat DC 23, sailing ship or longship DC 25, warship DC 27, or galley DC 30. (See Chapter 5 of the DMG for information about ships). Regardless of the check result, every creature aboard must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC 15). Success means the creature takes 1d10 points of damage from being thrown about by the impact; failure means the creature is hurled overboard.

Ramming (Ex): Once every 12 rounds, a leviathan can move at up to 720 feet and ram a Large or smaller creature or any sort of ship. To ram, the leviathan must end its movement in the target's space. If the target is a ship, the creature always precedes this attack with a long surface approach so everyone aboard can see what's coming. This attack deals 6d6+22 points of damage. If the target is a creature, it can attempt either an attack of opportunity or a Reflex save (DC 31) for half damage.

Upon ramming a ship, the leviathan can make a Strength check to breach its hull, which causes the ship to sink in 1d10 minutes. The break DC varies with the type of vessel rammed, as follows: rowboat DC 20, keelboat DC 23, sailing ship or longship DC 25, warship DC 27, or galley DC 30. (See Chapter 5 of the DMG for information about ships). Regardless of the check result, every creature aboard must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC 15). Success means the creature takes 1d10 points of damage from being thrown about by the impact; failure means the creature is hurled overboard.

Swamping (Ex): Once every 12 rounds, a leviathan can create waves up to 40 feet high by rising from the water and then slamming its enormous tail flukes or head against the surface. This causes any sailing vessel within 300 feet to capsize if the character steering it fails a Profession (sailor) check (DC 15). A modifier applies to this check, based on type of ship, as follows: rowboat -2, warship +0, galley or keelboat +3, sailing ship +5, longship +7. Any creature flung into the water by a capsizing ship must succeed at a Swim check (DC 15) or immediately begin drowning.

 

[freyar]

Well, the break DCs for ramming could provide some inspiration. What if we drop the DC by 5 for each boat type? It's not terribly easy to flip a rowboat, but my experience suggests that DC 15 isn't unreasonable. Anywhere between there and 20 would be ok, I guess.

 

[Shade]

I may have missed it upthread, but why are we trying to break from the typical capsizing mechanics and go with a save DC?

 

[freyar]

To allow for Aid Another actions, mechanically speaking. But, also, the critters with capsize based on a % chance are large things surfacing under boats, so the boat either capsizes or not. For a silkie to capsize the boat is more like if a PC (or you or I!) tried to do it, which we would normally model with a Str check at some DC.

 

[Cleon]

To allow for Aid Another actions, mechanically speaking. But, also, the critters with capsize based on a % chance are large things surfacing under boats, so the boat either capsizes or not. For a silkie to capsize the boat is more like if a PC (or you or I!) tried to do it, which we would normally model with a Str check at some DC.

I think a Strength check based on X plus boat length in feet is still the best way to go. If we use the DCs of the Ramming/Swamping SAs it'd be far too easy for a group of silkies to capsize even large vessels.

Ten silkies in concert would have a +22 on the Strength check (+4 for one, +18 for nine Aid Anothers). That would capsize a Warship on 5+ and a galley on 8+ using the Ramming DCs!

If we set the DC to something around 10 + half boat length (i.e. rowboat 15, keelboat 35, longship 45, sailing ship 50, warship 60, galley 80), they'd have a 40% chance of capsizing a keelboat but couldn't manage anything larger without more Silkies - e.g. a dozen Silkies have a 10% chance of tipping over a longship, but it needs twenty for a warship and thirty for a galley.

What think thou?

 

[Shade]

Honestly, I can't see 'em flipping anything bigger than a keelboat. My suspension of disbelief can only stretch so far.