I have no idea what I'm doing...

[zyborg]

Okay... here goes nothing...


Iron Slug Swarm

Size/Type: Diminutive Vermin (Earth, Swarm)
Hit Dice: 3d8+12 (25 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 15 ft (crawl), 15 ft (climb), 5 feet (burrow)
Armor Class: 17, touch 13, flat-footed 18 (+4 size, -1 dex, +4 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: 0/-17
Attack: Swarm 3d6
Full Attack: swarm 3d6
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Swarm 3d6
Special Qualities: Distraction, Eat Flesh
Saves: Fort +6, Ref -1, Will 0
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 9, Con 18, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: hide + 9, climb +3
Feats: none
Enviroment: Marsh
Organization: ??
Challange Rating: ??
Treasure: ??
Alignment: ??
Advancement: ?? Favored Class: ??
Level Adjustment: —

Eat Flesh(Ex)
Any living creature that begins its turn with an Iron Slug Swarm in its space must succeed on a DC 14 Fortitude save or have the Iron Slugs burrow into its body. After this, at the start of each of its rounds, it has to roll a DC 14 Reflex save to spit them out. If it fails, they must make a DC 14 Fortitude save. If successful, it only takes 1 damage. However, if failed, it takes 1 damage and gets one step closer to death. If a living creature affected fails the Reflex and Fortitude saves three rounds in a row, it is slain. If the Iron Slug Swarm is spat out, the swarm is slain, but the creature that spat it out does not earn any exp this way.


No idea how this works... :smalltongue:

I just wanted a mean swarm creature that can cause 4e death in 3.5e, as a horror enemy.

[mootoall]

Er, that a ... that's a very low Fort save. I don't think they'd be able to do their schtick unless the save was fumbled.

[Cidolfas]

With that low of damage and ability DC's, it looks like a CR 2 or 3 creature to me. I would have said level 1, but the 25 hit points could be somewhat tough to overcome depending on the character, especially with the swarm traits, etc.

Swarms are usually all right just by virtue of being swarms, but this one's tough because its offense is so poor. And what do you mean
by "4e death in 3.5"? I'm not very familiar with 4e except fo the fact that you get bloodied at a given hit point amount. What's so special about how you can die?

[zyborg]

With that low of damage and ability DC's, it looks like a CR 2 or 3 creature to me. I would have said level 1, but the 25 hit points could be somewhat tough to overcome depending on the character, especially with the swarm traits, etc.

Swarms are usually all right just by virtue of being swarms, but this one's tough because its offense is so poor. And what do you mean
by "4e death in 3.5"? I'm not very familiar with 4e except fo the fact that you get bloodied at a given hit point amount. What's so special about how you can die?

Rolling saves above 10 in order to survive. If you roll a 10 or less, you get 'one step closer to death'. If you roll 10 or less, three rounds in a row, you are dead.


ALso, need me to increase the DCs to make it harder?

[Cidolfas]

Ah, I see. That makes it sound like the drowning rules from 3.5e a little bit. Normally in 3.5 saves scale with Hit Dice and so do swarm damage, so boosting its HD would make it better in multiple ways instead of simply giving an arbitrary increase to the save.

[zyborg]

Er, that a ... that's a very low Fort save. I don't think they'd be able to do their schtick unless the save was fumbled.


Ah, I see. That makes it sound like the drowning rules from 3.5e a little bit. Normally in 3.5 saves scale with Hit Dice and so do swarm damage, so boosting its HD would make it better in multiple ways instead of simply giving an arbitrary increase to the save.

Okay. But how would increasing HD affect the Eat Flesh?

[Cidolfas]

A save DC is normally default at 10 + 1/2 Hit Dice + the relevant ability modifier (for swarms, usually Constitution). So as of now, the swarm's DC for Eat Flesh should actually be something like 15 (10 + 1/2 of 3 rounds down to 1 + 4 for 18 Con). I see that you have the first save lowered to prevent the slugs from burrowing, but that honestly makes it too easy to avoid. 3.5e usually operates under the premise of having saving throws and DC's parallel each other a bit so that a 10 is usually successful if your saves are at the appropriate level. Optimization can tip the scales either way, but 10 is still the ideal target.

My suggestion would be to have eat flesh be delivered when the swarm makes its normal swarm attack, not just when they move into the same space (swarm damage occurs at that same time anyway). Then, there is one saving throw of DC 15 to have the slugs burrowing. Give the victim four attempts to make the save (perhaps with the DC increasing by +1 for each previous failure) and then they die. Or something like that. It may have to forgo normal swarm damage though if you really want to insist on such a mechanic, since I would usually view swarm damage as the same thing as Eat flesh by less complicated.

Another possibility would be to give this swarm a higher damaging swarm attack than normal to represent their efficiency at eating people. Perhaps 1d6 swarm damage per Hit Die.

[zyborg]

Edits made...


Adding a new one.


Energetic Lights


Size/Type: Tiny Elemental (Air, Chaotic)
Hit Dice: 3d8 (13 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: Fly: 40' (8 squares)
Armor Class: 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (+2 size, +4 dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-11
Attack: ?? -1 str-based / ?? +8 dex-based (1d8-5)
Full Attack: -1
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Pass-through, Explosion
Special Qualities: Forever Moving, Low Density
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +7, Will -2
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 5, Cha 11
Skills: ???
Feats: ???
Enviroment: ??
Organization: ??
Challange Rating: ??
Treasure: ??
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Advancement: ?? Favored Class: ??
Level Adjustment: —

Type Info
Elemental
An elemental is a being composed of one of the four classical elements: air, earth, fire, or water.
Traits
An elemental possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning.
* Not subject to critical hits or flanking.
* Unlike most other living creatures, an elemental does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an elemental is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on an elemental. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection, to restore it to life.
* Proficient with natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
* Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) that it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Elementals not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Elementals are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
* Elementals do not eat, sleep, or breathe.

Subtype Info
Air
This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Plane Air. Air creatures always have fly speeds and usually have perfect maneuverability.

Fire Subtype

A creature with the fire subtype has immunity to fire. It has vulnerability to cold, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from cold, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

Chaotic
A subtype usually applied only to outsiders native to the chaotic-aligned Outer Planes. Most creatures that have this subtype also have chaotic alignments; however, if their alignments change they still retain the subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature has a chaotic alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the chaotic subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were chaotic-aligned (see Damage Reduction, below).

Special Qualities:
Forever Moving - If this creature is able to move, it must move the maximum amount that it can. It is able to move through other creatures. If it is unable to move, it automatically dies.
Low Density - all ranged attacks aimed at this target that have not met their maximum range go through this creature.

Special Attacks:
Pass-through - This creature cannot attack normally. However, if it moves through another creature, it deals a touch attack of (1d8)-5 damage.
Explosion - When this creature dies, it rolls a 1d4. If a 4 is rolled, this attack is triggered. It explodes, creating a 20' sphere burst, causing 1d8 fire damage and 1d8 electric damage.