Yuan Ti and allies thread (Ti-Khana critters)

[Casimir Liber]

ok one venomwing in the works

 

[Cleon]

ok one venomwing in the works

Lots of issues with that first attempt:

Type should be monstrosity (shapechanger) not beast.

Speed is all kinds of weird: no flying or snake form movement and it can travel at 60 feet on the ground!

I was thinking DEX would be 17 to match the Giant Pterosaur: it feels odd to have it lower than a relative two size categories bigger than it.

WIS looks strangely high, why give it a bonus a point higher than a Giant Pterosaur or Deinonychus? I'd be more inclined to reserve a higher WIS modifier for the War Pterosaur.

Its passive Perception doesn't match its WIS.

Where's its Ti-khana Magic Resistance disappeared to?

It seems easier for me to update the Ti-khana Venomwing Pterosaur to show how I'd do it.

 

[Cleon]

It seems easier for me to update the Ti-khana Venomwing Pterosaur to show how I'd do it.

Okay, checking the CR Calculator my Venomwing Working Draft has a wee problem.

Its Magic Resistance with AC 14 and 5 hp gives the Venomwing a Defensive CR of 1/8.

However, +5 to hit means the Venomwing's Damage Per Round must be 3 or less for it to be Challenge 1/8. Any higher pushes its Offensive CR into 1/2 and exceeds that limit.

There's basically three solutions:

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Solution #1: Keep it as it is and have it do piddling damage. i.e. a Bite doing 1 piercing plus 2 (1d4) poison.​

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Solution #2: Drop DEX to 15 to make it +4 to hit (we can keep it AC 14 if you like), which allows the DPR to increase to 5. i.e. a Bite doing 1 (1d4–1) piercing plus 3 (1d6) poison.​

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Solution #3: Boost it to CR 1/4. Maybe STR 6 (–2) with its DEX 17, and a +5 to hit Bite doing 1 (1d4–1) piercing plus 3 (1d6) poison. CR 1/4 would also let us squeeze in another Hit Dice for Hit Points 7 (3d4) if we want to make it slightly tougher.​

I'd go for #3 or possibly #2, which do you prefer?

 

[Casimir Liber]

Dropping its dex seems counterintuitive (ruling out #2). Yuan Ti are usually upper tier 1 or lower tier 2 encounters. #1 renders them useless. so leaves us with #3

 

[Cleon]

Dropping its dex seems counterintuitive (ruling out #2). Yuan Ti are usually upper tier 1 or lower tier 2 encounters. #1 renders them useless. so leaves us with #3

Solution #3 is my preference too, although I'm not that bothered about the Tier 1 or 2 business as a Yuan-ti encounter that revolves around Venomwings would use Swarms rather than individuals.

A single Venomwing is more likely to be important if it's the familiar of a Yuan-ti spellcaster or a scout the PCs have to neutralize before it flies back to its masters and warns them of the party's presence.

Going for #3, I'm leaning towards keeping the Hit Dice at 2d4 rather than making it 3d4. Although that is still within Challenge 1/4, I'd rather have them be a bit more fragile than, say a Goblin or Blood Hawk. While 7 hit points instead of 5 isn't a vast increase, it makes it more likely that a low-level PC needs two blows to take out a Venomwing.

Updating the Ti-khana Venomwing Pterosaur.

 

[Cleon]

Oh I forgot something.

I fancied giving the Venomwing blindsight 10 ft. as soon as I saw the Flying Snake had that sensory ability and see from your Rough Draft I wasn't the only one.

It gives the Venomwings something distinctive from regular Pterosaurs. Maybe they prefer to hunt at night, under the darkest of jungle canopies, or the caverns of the underworld?

Will add that in…

 

[Casimir Liber]

aligned thus far...oh, pack tactics?

 

[Cleon]

I did wonder about increasing the blindsight range a bit.

If a Venomwing flying through a pitch black forest can only see the trees when they're 10 feet away it might be hard to avoid slamming its beak into them.

While I compared them to a Bat earlier, a Bat's blindsight 60 ft. feels too high, but I'd consider blindsight 30 ft. for them.

Any preferences?

 

[Cleon]

aligned thus far...oh, pack tactics?

Oh yes, I was going to add that too.

Better check the CR Calculator first… yup, it's still Challenge 1/4.

Updating the Ti-khana Venomwing Pterosaur.

 

[Casimir Liber]

ok tidying up loose ends as I had an idea. I went with 3d4 hp - also a spit attack maybe?