Tree-Squid!!!!!! (PEACH)

[CommanderFalken]

I know this idea sounds weird, but bear with me...

So, I feel a bit of explanation is needed here.

I was flipping through the MM's animal section, looking for an enemy to jump one of my characters while he was in a forest. I had a friend with me, looking over my shoulder. He was another person in the party, but a good roleplayer so I wasn't worried. Anyway, my original plan was to have it be wolves, but they were too tough for the character in question. So I continued looking through the pages. "Baboon? Maybe, but not really all that great. Croc? too strong..." Anyway, I pass the page with "Squid" on it, and my friend says "He should be attacked by a squid!!!!". I'm used to this sorta stuff, so I just respond, "he's in a forest, why in the Nine Hells would he be attacked by a squid?". We both stare at each other for a moment, then both exclaim "TREE-SQUID!!!!!!".

We do stuff like this a lot. At first, it was just a joke, but I was hanging around later, completely bored out of my wits. Then I realized I had a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and the MM in my backpack, and immediately got to work. This is what I created.

TREE-SQUID
Small animal
HD: 1d8 (4 hp)
Init: +4
Spd: 40 ft, Climb 40 ft
BAB/GRP: +1/+1
ATK: arms +6 melee (0)
Full Atk: Arms +6 melee (0) and bite +1 melee (1d4)
Sp.ATK: Improved Grab, Ink Squirt
Sp.QUAL: Low-light vision, Camouflage
Saves: Fort+2, Ref+6, Will+0.
Abilities: STR 10, DEX 19, CON 11, INT 2, WIS 11, CHA 6
Skills: Hide+12, Move Silently +6, Climb +12
FEATS: Weapon Finesse, BrachiationB
ENVIRONMENT: Warm (+wet) Forests
Orginization: Solitary or School(6-11)
Treasure: ?
Alignment: True Neutral
CR: ?

AAAHHH!!! LOOK OUT!!! IT"S A TREE-SQUID!!!!!!
Tree-squids are, as their name indicates, squids that have taken to the trees. They are brutally fast, and amazingly good at hiding. Their favorite tactic is to lie motionless on a tree and wait for someone to come near, then leap out and attack them.

Improved Grab: If a tree-squid hits with it's arms attack, it can then attempt a grapple without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the check, it establishes a hold and automatically deals bite damage. Tree-squids have an innate +4 to Grapple Checks (reflected in the stats above).

Ink Squirt: Once per day, a tree-squid can spray ink into enemies' faces as a standard action. This is a ranged touch attack (+6 ranged) with a maximum range of 15 feet. If ths attack succeeds, then the target must make a DC 16 (10 + ranged atk bonus) Reflex save or be blinded as the blindness spell. This effect stays until the eyes are washed out with 1d2 pints of water (takes 1d6 minutes).

Camouflage: as Ranger special ability.

Skills: Tree-squids have a +2 bonus on Hide checks.
A tree-squid has an innate +8 climb bonus on any climb check to perform some special action. It may always take 10 on a Climb check even if rushed or agitated.


What do you all think? What CR might it be? I was thinking a CR 2, but I'm not sure.

[The Glyphstone]

Eh...aren't squids water-dwelling? Why would they suddenly decide to start living in trees? And how would they survive?

Regardless of the sticky, unimportant details....LOL. Very funny... ;D ;D

[The_Werebear]

I am definately going to use that in my campaign. Granted, it won't work too well since they are going to start at level 7, but it would be worth it for the gag.

I would up their size to medium though, or give them improved grapple. Then they would be CR2 worthy IMO.

[High-Chancellor]

Eh. It's not a terribly huge impossibility. There are octopusses that can survive out of the water for like... half an hour before they need more water.

I'd take out the camoflage and make a seperate creature called a tree-octopus with that ability, maybe slower. Or medium sized.

And probably raise the intelligence to 3 (for either), as to make the squid more monkeylike... and because DnD writers don't seem to realize how smart octopuses are.

EDIT: And I second the improved grapple thing.

[The Glyphstone]

And probably raise the intelligence to 3 (for either), as to make the squid more monkeylike... and because DnD writers don't seem to realize how smart octopuses are.


He might have to make it a Magical Beast for that...I'm pretty sure nonmagical animals are restricted to Int 2 or less. Maybe not, though...

And the plural you're looking for is "octopi". :)

[The_Snark]

This sounds a lot like a darkmantle. Maybe take that as a guideline?

Also- there's no AC there.

And all that said, it's an awesome idea. School of tree-squid!

[a_humble_lich]

<Super nickpick>
Octopus is a greek work (third declension) so the correct plural is octopodes
</Super nickpick>

And yes, they are crazy smart. There are stories of them sneaking out of their tanks, eating fish in other tanks, and then sneaking back into their own.

[High-Chancellor]

Monkeys have an intelligence of 3. That's why I said it. I think animals just can't go ABOVE 3.

(And yeah, I know, octopi. I did that on purpose. Actually I was just lazy, my initial writeup had used both octopi and octopuses in it in different parts, but the octopi got rewritten I think... oh well.)

PS: Not only are there stories of them sneaking out of their tanks, there are stories about giant octopi sneaking onto fishing boats out in the ocean, and breaking into the place where they store their fish. Fun times.

[CommanderFalken]

This sounds a lot like a darkmantle. Maybe take that as a guideline?

Also- there's no AC there.

And all that said, it's an awesome idea. School of tree-squid!

I KNEW I was forgetting something. AC 16.

And what's Imp. Grapple do?

[High-Chancellor]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#improvedGrapple

[Spuddly]

Eh...aren't squids water-dwelling? Why would they suddenly decide to start living in trees?

A wizard did it!!


And how would they survive?

Magic!!!



Could you get one as a familiar? That would be damned wicked.

[CommanderFalken]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#improvedGrapple

Ah, Gotcha. Would that be an extra +4 on top of the original?

Also, what if it had a special ability that let it use it's DEX instead of STR for grapples?

As for the familar/animal companion, i think it might be possible. I would totally go for that. However, as it's an animal, there's another option...

AWAKENED TREE-SQUID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bosssmiley]

Could you get one as a familiar? That would be damned wicked.

You _should_ be able to. You can in Yohoho Puzzle Pirates after all. Nothing cuter than a little Lego-looking pirate with a tiny squid sat on his shoulder. ;D

What would you have as their familiar bonus though? +3 to Disguise/Hide?

I'm looking forward to Rei-Jin or Vorpal getting their hands on these inoffensive little creatures. The mere sound of the phrase Feral Half-Fiend Phrenic Tree-Squid of Legend makes my heart soar with evil glee.

[idksocrates]

From the base stats I would give these things a CR of 1/2. They don't do much damage, but that blind ability is nice.

You might want to make it so you can make a swarm of these things... that'd be sweet...

Also, the Werebear, just make an advanced version.

I'll say...
Advancement: 2-5HD (small), 6-11 HD (medium), 12-18 HD (large).
Add +1 str, dex, and con for each HD added.
so an 18HD creature has abilities of:
Abilities: STR 27, DEX 37, CON 29, INT 2, WIS 11, CHA 6

For a level 7 CR, the 18HD creature should do nicely.


Also, about the inkspray, i'm pretty sure the DC should be based on con and hD, but if you want, you can make it dex and hd, with a +2 racial bonus (so it's still 16). This also makes it better for the advanced creatures.

[Rei_Jin]

I saw this thread and I instantly thought of something a friend and I came up with.

*****

A secret cabal of illithids were experimenting with flows of magic unknown to them, hoping to unlock a new form of power for them to manipulate. Unfortunately for them and the world, Cthullu saw this and "punished" that cabal, fusing their life force into the nearest living thing.

The magic they were experimenting with was ley-lines, and the nearest living thing happened to be a tree.

Now, the rumours are spreading, of a tree with fruit so sweet that even going near it spells death. The illithids of course love these rumours, and the ease with which they can obtain fresh prey.

Mayhaps one day someone will be able to vanquish the evil Illith-tree, but until that day the woods are not a safe place for anything with an intelligence above 3.

Imagine a collosal tree, able to use psionics, and in place of apples on its limbs, it has little illithid heads. It uses its illusion abilities to make people think they are apples, and when they get close enough, it mindblasts them, and sucks their brains out.

I'm yet to stat it out, but my players will %^$# themselves when they take it on, of that I have no doubt.