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View Full Version : Goo-Bangs a 3.5 monster.



Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-09, 07:22 PM
I designed these creatures a while back and thought I'd share them here, originally they were small sized but someone suggested they should be tiny so PC's have the chance to blow them up before they enter their square.
Goo Bangs 

Tiny Aberration 

Hit Dice: 3d8 (13 hp) 

Initiative: +10 (+6 Dex, +4 Feat)

Speed: 40 ft 

AC: 18 (+6 Dex, +2 size,) 

Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-6 

Attack: Claw +10 melee

Full Attack: 2 Claws +10 Melee, 
Damage: Claws 1d3 

Face/Reach: 2’5 ft/0 ft 

Special Attacks: Explosion, Pounce. 

Special Qualities: Darkvision, Immunity to Fear. 

Saves: Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +2 

Abilities: Str 10, Dex 22, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 8, Cha 6 

Feats: Weapon Finesse, Reckless Offense, Mobility(b), Improved Initiative(b)

Skills: Balance+14 Climb+10, Hide+18, Move Silently+16, Jump+14, 
Challenge Rating: 3 

Organization: Gang (2-6), Horde (6-12) 
Alignment: Always Chaotic Neutral

These goblin like creatures stand slightly below 2ft tall and are covered in tiny spines. They cackle with glee as the pounce upon foes before exploding with a loud pop.

The Goo-Bangs, are so named due to their behavior. They are not born but are grown, by a race of outerworldly spell casters the Hash’ilk’Khan. They are not born but grown in vast pod plant complexes. They exist for the sole purpose of launching suicidal attacks against the enemy of the Hash’ilk’Khah. The fact the Hash’ilk’Khan would create life forms whose sole purpose is to die further demonstrates their utter disregard for the sanctity of life.

Darkvision: This creature can see in complete darkness, up to 60.
Immunity to Fear: Goo-Bangs are immune to all fear and negative morale effects.

Skills: Goo-Bangs have a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus on Jump checks. Goo-Bangs have a +8 racial bonus on Balance checks. They use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks. 
(At tiny size they gain another +8 to hide checks simply for their size)

Explosion(Ex): When killed a Goo-Bang explodes covering any creature sharing its space with a sticky goo entangling them much like a tanglefoot bag, as well dealing 4d4 points of damage half-acid/half-piercing to the creature and anyone in an adjacent space(15ft diameter explosion), a reflex save DC 17 for half damage.
*The saving throw is dexterity based.*
An entangled creature takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls and a -4 penalty to Dexterity and must make a DC 17 Reflex save or be glued to the floor, unable to move. A flying creature that uses wings is unable to fly and falls if they fail the save.* Even on a successful save, it can move only at half speed. Entangled creatures suffer 1d4 acid damage every round until the goo dissolves in 2d4 rounds or is somehow neutralized. Ten points of fire or cold damage are sufficient to neutralize the acid and remove the goo. However the entangled creature also suffers this damage. If the subject is completely submerged in water the goo dissolves in 1 round. Gargantuan or larger creatures are not entangled, but the clinging goo still deals acid damage every round unless somehow neutralized.*

A Goo-Bang may also explode as a free action if it strikes a creature with both claw attacks, said creature gets no saving throw against the explosion but may still roll a reflex save to avoid being glued to the floor.

Debihuman
2010-03-09, 09:03 PM
Umm, instead of "Explosion" shouldn't it be "Death Throes?" This is a standard Special Ability.

Debby

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-09, 10:56 PM
Umm, instead of "Explosion" shouldn't it be "Death Throes?" This is a standard Special Ability.

Debby

Most creatures can't choose to initiate a death throws, Goo-Bangs can and gladly do.

Debihuman
2010-03-10, 11:40 AM
Death throes would still be appropriate. Just because a creature can "choose" to self-destruct doesn't change the name of the special ability. No matter how it dies (whether by choice since it would be suicide to voluntarily explode or because it was beaten to death), it doesn't merit a new special ability, especially when one already exists which does the same thing.

Could you use a goo-bang as a thrown weapon and have it explode on contact? Now that would be cool.

Also, if you would please format your entry you might get some other opinions. It's difficult to read without proper spacing between paragraphs and bolding.

Immunity to fear is too powerful for a 3 hit die creature.

You left off touch and flat-footed Armor Class.


Immunity to Fear: Goo-Bangs are immune to all fear and negative morale effects. . Okay. I thought this was overpowered but it's a lot like a 3rd level paladin so I'll just go okay.

Debby

Djinn_in_Tonic
2010-03-10, 12:42 PM
Technically Explosion is fine as its own ability, because most Death Throes effects deal damage and nothing but damage. Explosion has additional effects, and I see no reason why it can't be its own ability.

arguskos
2010-03-10, 01:50 PM
Technically Explosion is fine as its own ability, because most Death Throes effects deal damage and nothing but damage. Explosion has additional effects, and I see no reason why it can't be its own ability.
This. There is no reason to hammer Death Throes to work for something that isn't to exact standards when you can just make something new.

Also, there is no reason to make it a Death Throes ability. Nothing keys off of it, nothing even MENTIONS it, might as well just leave it as Explosion and call it a day.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-10, 03:23 PM
My thoughts on the immunity to fear is, a creature that willing blows its self up because its told to, can't really have much to fear.
How do you frighten a creature whose life goal is to blow up?

And yes you could throw one, and have it explode on impact if you somehow had one under your control. I was at one point Intending to design a Trent like creature that things things grew on and it would reach up and into the branches and throw these thing.

Debihuman
2010-03-10, 10:26 PM
Technically Explosion is fine as its own ability, because most Death Throes effects deal damage and nothing but damage. Explosion has additional effects, and I see no reason why it can't be its own ability.

A rose by any other name...

Putting on my editorial hat for a moment. While it is possible to make a new ability called "explosion" (and for that matter you can call it whatever you like), why reinvent the wheel? Death throes: something happens when a creature dies (regardless of the circumstances of the death). You can add such details as necessary and vary its effects in any way you want. As an analogy, you don't call a black dragon's breath weapon "vomit" but that's really what it does. Last of all, I am just grateful that it didn't have explosive flatulence.1

Being so attached to a word is probably one of the things that prevents a writer from improving. That said, the statblock is a DM's tool. Keeping it as standardized as possible makes it easier for the one using it. Sure it's cool to think up nifty new special ability names, but it also adds a layer of unnecessary complexity.2


A Goo-Bang may also explode as a free action if it strikes a creature with both claw attacks, said creature gets no saving throw against the explosion but may still roll a reflex save to avoid being glued to the floor.

Can an exploding goo-bang set off a chain reaction of exploding goo-bangs if they happen to be adjacent to one another? Can they entangle each other with their goo? You list it as DC as 17, but you forgot to say that the save is Dexterity-based. [10 + 1/2 Creature's HD + ability modifier to get DC].

CR is missing. Environment is also missing. The creature's name is misspelled in the first line. Is it supposed to be "Goo Bang" or "Goo-bang?"

It has 2 bonus feats. The Reckless Offense feat is from Expanded Psionics Handbook. Excellent choice of feats by the way.


hey are not born but grown in vast pod plant complexes. They exist for the sole purpose of launching suicidal attacks against the enemy of the Hash’ilk’Khah. Then why are you proposing that they lay eggs? Wouldn't it be a seed?

Next up....


This. There is no reason to hammer Death Throes to work for something that isn't to exact standards when you can just make something new.

Also, there is no reason to make it a Death Throes ability. Nothing keys off of it, nothing even MENTIONS it, might as well just leave it as Explosion and call it a day.

Utter cow patty. Death Throes is a standard Special Ability. Here's the frost worm for example:


Death Throes (Ex): When killed, a frost worm turns to ice and shatters in an explosion that deals 12d6 points of cold damage and 8d6 points of piercing damage to everything within 100 feet (Reflex half DC 22).

The addition of the entanglement feature probably should be its own special ability, but I was willing to overlook it because it is dependent on the creature exploding. It can't just entangle; it has to explode first. Hence it belongs under that heading.

It is precisely this attention to detail that separates a good monster entry from a mediocre one.

Debby

1 Completely off topic here but the bonnacon has that special feature. It was nearly impossible to write as a serious creature. It comes from medieval mythology. I suspect that was the origin of the stench kow from 1st edition D&D.

2 One of my pet peeves is throwing two nouns together without a space between them. It's not artistic; it's illiterate.

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-11, 12:53 AM
The name Goo-Bang is suppose to be kind of illiterate, I think its important the name fits the creature. The way I see it this thing wasn't named by some wise sage. The name that stuck was the simple term that describes the creature that explodes with a bang and covers you in goo.
Hence Goo-Bang

What ever the Hash'ilk'Khan call them it be some word that humans can't possibly pronounce.

And yes Goo-Bangs can set off a chain reaction with each other, and they have. But the maximum damage of the explosion is 16 and they have 13hp. And they'd have to be sharing the same square to entangle one another. It probably simplify things if I just expanded the entanglement to include the entire explosion.

Its funny you mention Frost Wyrms because a PC who gained control of 4 of these things had them explode on a Frost Wyrm, who then exploded a few rounds later after retreating from the parties assault.

Thanks for noticing I forgot to add in the save formula , it was there originally but I recently rewrote the explosion ability to be more clear in what it does and must have left that off.

CR is not missing notice the line titled
Challenge Rating: 3

They have no environment simply because its any, so I never bothered to put that in. Where ever you find a goo-bang someone put them there.
I typically just leave out lines that will be blank anyway.

Well for the Goo-Bang egg or seed, it only become one Goo-Bang the same one that blew up. That's not effective reproduction, it still have the mother plants. The main reason I thought about it is one PC (who also DM' we alternate campaigns) Expressed the interest in having a Goo-Bang familiar so having a device which it can return its self to life after willingly blowing its self up would be necessary for that to work.

The other thing I'm working on is the proper level for a spell, Summon Goo-Bang that bring forth 1d3 of these things.
It probably has to be its own unique summon spell to explain its acidic remains staying behind 2d4 rounds after death.

Zexion
2010-03-11, 12:55 AM
So basically, this is a small ball of slime that can blow up on command, has no sense of self, and rebirths itself in a very slow reverse explosion?
AWESOME!!!

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-11, 01:16 AM
Well its more of a tiny sized green spiny goblinoid looking creature that can blow up on command, has no sense of self worth, and will possibly regrow its self from the remains of its own body.

Debihuman
2010-03-11, 07:01 PM
The name Goo-Bang is suppose to be kind of illiterate, I think its important the name fits the creature.

That wasn't what I meant. I think Goo-bang is a great name (you hyphenated it so it isn't at all illiterate).

As to the rest, it's mostly cosmetic stuff. If you look at your creature, the challenge rating line is on the same line as the skills, which is why I missed it. It should be on its own line.

I think exploding green goblins that cover you with acidic goo is just too good not to use.

How's this for some background fluff: [And feel free to ignore it]

Goo-bangs are bred in specialized greenhouses to prevent them from accidentally exploding on their Hash'ilk'Khan caretakers. Once freed from the confines of their home, they may wander freely and can be found in any temperate land environment.

If I were doing this, this is the statblock that I would use:

Goo-bang 

Tiny Aberration 

Hit Dice: 3d8 (13 hp) 

Initiative: +10 (+6 Dex, +4 Feat)

Speed: 40 ft 

Armor Class: 18 (+6 Dex, +2 size), touch 12, flat-footed 18 

Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-6 

Attack: Claw +10 melee (1d3)

Full Attack: 2 Claws +10 Melee (1d3) 

Space/Reach: 2’5 ft./0 ft. 

Special Attacks: Death Throes, Pounce 

Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Immunity to Fear
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +2 

Abilities: Str 10, Dex 22, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 8, Cha 6 


Skills: Balance +14, Climb +10, Hide +18, Move Silently +16, Jump +14
Feats: Improved InitiativeB, MobilityB, Reckless OffenseFrom XPH, Weapon Finesse
Environment: Any temperate land
Organization: Solitary, Gang (2-6), or Horde (6-12)

Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard

Alignment: Always Chaotic Neutral
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: -

These goblin-like creatures stand slightly below 2 feet tall and are covered with tiny spines. They cackle with glee as they pounce upon foes before exploding with a loud pop. They are a hazard; any exploding goo-bang may cause others around it to also explode, resulting in mass destruction and a mess of goo.

Goo-bangs are so named for their behavior. They are not born but are grown, by a race of outer-worldly spellcasters, the Hash’ilk’Khan. Goo-bangs grow in vast pod plant complexes. They exist for the sole purpose of launching suicidal attacks against the enemy of the Hash’ilk’Khan. The fact that the Hash’ilk’Khan would create life-forms whose sole purpose is to die further demonstrates their utter disregard for the sanctity of life.

Darkvision (Ex): This creature can see in complete darkness, up to 60 feet.

Immunity to Fear (Ex): Goo-bangs are immune to all fear effects and negative morale effects.

Skills: Goo-bangs have a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus on Jump checks. Goo-Bangs have a +8 racial bonus on Balance checks. They use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks. As Tiny size, they gain another +8 to Hide checks.

Death Throws (Ex): When killed, a goo-bang explodes covering all creatures sharing its space with a sticky goo and entangling them much like a tanglefoot bag, as well dealing 4d4 points of damage half-acid/half-piercing to the creature and anyone in an adjacent space (15-ft. diameter explosion). Reflex save (DC 17) for half damage. The save is dexterity-base.

An entangled creature takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls and a -4 penalty to Dexterity and must make a Reflex save (DC 17) or be glued to the floor, unable to move. A flying creature is not stuck to the floor, but it must make a DC 17 Reflex save or be unable to fly (assuming it uses its wings to fly) and falls to the ground. Even on a successful save, it can move only at half speed.

Entangled creatures suffer 1d4 points of acid damage every round until the goo dissolves in 2d4 rounds or is somehow neutralized. Ten points of fire or cold damage are sufficient to neutralize the acid and remove the goo. However, the entangled creature also suffers this damage. If the subject is completely submerged in water, the goo dissolves in 1 round. Gargantuan or larger creatures are not entangled, but the clinging goo still deals acid damage every round unless somehow neutralized.

Pounce (Ex): If a goo-bang charges a foe, it can make a full attack.

Debby

Lord Vukodlak
2010-03-11, 09:16 PM
I think the format in the edit is different then when I post as it used to be on its own line. But then when I copied this thing from the text file to the forum it removed all formatting,

The fluff is nice but these guys don't tend to wander that far, well assuming they have a master to keep them in line. And they aren't quite that suicidally dangerous, and usually don't explode unless engaged in combat.

I think I may post their masters in a few minutes.

Debihuman
2010-03-12, 12:06 AM
You have to reformat every time you post when you cut and paste unless you are using the proper codes. What format is the original in? I know when I copy from MS Word 2007, I have to reformat. It's probably true for most text-based program (Word, WordPerfect, etc.)


Is there a limit to how far these goo-bangs can go? Are they dependent on their masters? It might make for interesting fluff but I think they are pretty good on their own.

Debby