Results 1 to 30 of 142
Thread: That Damned Crab!
-
2007-09-14, 12:04 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2006
- Location
That Damned Crab!
Help! I need to find this beastie right quick, where is it?
Basilisk 6Pilot of the Thing
I'm not evil. My morals just aren't the same as society's.
On a one man quest to beat the Star Wars Universe, using nothing but simple, plain, ordinary logic. Score so far: Me 593 SWU 450
-
2007-09-14, 12:07 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
Re: That Damned Crab!
-
2007-09-14, 12:09 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2006
- Location
Re: That Damned Crab!
Thank you.
Basilisk 6Pilot of the Thing
I'm not evil. My morals just aren't the same as society's.
On a one man quest to beat the Star Wars Universe, using nothing but simple, plain, ordinary logic. Score so far: Me 593 SWU 450
-
2007-09-14, 04:04 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Seattle, USA
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
Why do I get the feeling that a a party is about to be punished by a "level-appropriate" encounter?
"Sometimes, we’re heroes. Sometimes, we shoot other people right in the face for money."
-Shadowrun 4e, Runner's Companion
-
2007-09-14, 05:36 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
- Location
- Erlangen
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
That beast is CR 3!?!
You just have to compare it to an ogre to see how overpowered it is.Thanks to Ceika for the awsome Flamebringer avatar.
As Captain Leif Meldrock says in "Mars Needs Lumberjacks": "I'm ready for anything!"
Thanks to Baboon Army for the great Evermore avatar.
-
2007-09-14, 06:42 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- Near Atlanta,GA USA
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
Hmm... mindless, and no ranged attack(and no hide/move silently to get in close before detected to make up for that) compared to the ogre... but still I beleive you may have a point there.
[Public Service Announcement]P.E.A.C.H stands for Please Examine And Critique Honestly[/Public Service Announcement]
Currently Running: Equestria Begins (A High Tactics campaign)
Extended Signature
My Homebrew is meant to be used, but, if you do, PLEASE tell me how it goes.
-
2007-09-14, 07:44 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2006
- Location
- Syracuse, NY
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
Maybe I should send your party flowers. Or at least the survivors.
Somebody's party must be the munchkins from hell.
-
2007-09-14, 08:11 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
- Location
- Erlangen
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
True, but 66 hp? Ac 19? 2 attacks +10 with d8+9 damage each? Not to forget it's an awesome grapple-machine. One hit, and you're history (impr. grab).
The only chance for a low level party (level 3 or 4) I see, is if the terrain is highly in favour of the PCs (e.g. they can take it down with ranged attacks before it can close).Thanks to Ceika for the awsome Flamebringer avatar.
As Captain Leif Meldrock says in "Mars Needs Lumberjacks": "I'm ready for anything!"
Thanks to Baboon Army for the great Evermore avatar.
-
2007-09-14, 11:02 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2007
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
That thing does 13.489 average damage with one hit? An average level 3 fighter with 10 con only has 16-17 hp! The designer who made this creature must have been surrounded with insane munchkins, or possibly a sadist.
-
2007-09-14, 11:07 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- Trogland.Texas.DFW-ish
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
I thought it was pre-3.5. 'Parently I was wrong. Wow. There was a lot of cool stuff in the Far Corner of the World series, but that crab must be the broken-est thing in it.
I have returned!! Not that most of y'all know whom I am.
Mega-Awesome Avatar done by Dawn!
The Many Faces of GimliFett.
-
2007-09-14, 11:16 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2006
- Location
- Fairfield, CA
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
Be warned: do not advance That Damn Crab under any circumstances. Or give it class levels. Or make it anthropomorphic and allow a player to play it.
Anthropomorphic Damn Crabs with levels in Monk into Reaping Mauler are vicious and terrifying.Wiki - Q&A - FB - LIn - Tw
d20r Compilation PDF - last updated 9.11.14
d20r: Spells (I-L) - d20r: Spells (H) - d20r: Spells (G) - d20r: Spells (F) - d20r: Spells (E) - d20r: Spells (D) - d20r: Wizard class
-
2007-09-14, 11:20 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2007
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
You know, its getting to be Stone Crab season in these parts... You just break off one claw and throw the crab back.
-
2007-09-14, 11:30 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2006
- Location
- Poland
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
I would give it CR 5. Or maybe 6, but I'm not good at it. Then it should be OK.
Beacuse it's quite impressive giant crab...
I could talk about it's grapple modifier, Constitution score, and Powerful Claws (Ex), but much simpler question is - since when any 7HD monsters are CR3 ?Avatar by KwarkpuddingThe subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing;
Rush in and die, dogs—I was a man before I was a king.
Whoever makes shoddy beer, shall be thrown into manure - town law from Gdańsk, XIth century.
-
2007-09-14, 11:30 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2005
- Location
- Back in the USSR
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
Guys, guys, the crab isn't that hard. You just have to hit its weak point FOR MASSIVE DAMAGE!
Out of curiosity, what would an appropriate CR for this thing be? It's not inherently broken, I think, just its HP and attack/damage are too high for the CR. Monster designer people, what would you say is a better CR? 4, 5, 6?
Crab-ninja'd!Last edited by Nerd-o-rama; 2007-09-14 at 11:31 AM.
Spoiler
Stealthy Snake avatar by Dawn
Lack of images by Imageshack
-
2007-09-14, 11:43 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2006
- Location
- Fairfield, CA
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
Vorpal Tribble's CR Calculation Method gives it a high 6, low 7 CR.
Wiki - Q&A - FB - LIn - Tw
d20r Compilation PDF - last updated 9.11.14
d20r: Spells (I-L) - d20r: Spells (H) - d20r: Spells (G) - d20r: Spells (F) - d20r: Spells (E) - d20r: Spells (D) - d20r: Wizard class
-
2007-09-14, 11:46 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- Trogland.Texas.DFW-ish
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
I'd agree with a CR 5. A carcass crab, from Eberron Campaign Setting, is Huge, has 12 HD and is CR 8. CC has poison barbs, a bite and adhesive, so maybe a CR 4, then.
I have returned!! Not that most of y'all know whom I am.
Mega-Awesome Avatar done by Dawn!
The Many Faces of GimliFett.
-
2007-09-14, 11:54 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2005
- Location
- Flawse Fell, Geordieland
Re: That Damned Crab!
Level 3 fighter with a Con of 10 and 16-17hp?
I don't entirely think it's the crab that's at fault here.
That said, a CR of 3 for an aquatic grappler (Go! Super Drowning Skills!) with those specs is a little b0rked. 4 maybe. 3? Naaaah.
-
2007-09-14, 12:06 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2007
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
I think they may have been comparing it to a Monstrous Scorpion
But if you compare it to a much weaker Giant Stag Beetle with a HIGHER CR you can see that something was falling apart in the CR calculations.
-
2007-09-14, 12:14 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2006
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
An extremely strong aquatic grappler. A level 3 character who's built for grappling might have a +12 grapple modifier--and that's with Strength 20, Improved Grapple, and full BAB. This thing has +19! And none of the usual anti-grapple tricks are available at third level. Once it hits you, it's got you and you're not getting away, and two rounds of being squoze in one of those claws will kill just about any third-leveler. The ability to dive underwater and drown you is just icing on the cake.
With a +10 to hit on its claw attacks, it's got pretty good odds of snagging two enemies on the first round. Game over, man.
Remember that a CR 3 should be an easy fight for a 3rd-level party, not an even match. An even match (50% chance for the battle to go either way) would be CR 7. This thing is a walking TPK.Last edited by Dausuul; 2007-09-14 at 12:17 PM.
-
2007-09-14, 12:21 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2007
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
AND it moves at 40', so you can't even run away.
-
2007-09-14, 12:35 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2005
- Location
Re: That Damned Crab!
It is based on real japanese History =) This video will teach you how! (hint: flip it on its back)
And none of the usual anti-grapple tricks are available at third level.Last edited by Kaerou; 2007-09-14 at 12:40 PM.
-
2007-09-14, 12:40 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- Lincoln
- Gender
-
2007-09-14, 12:43 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- Trogland.Texas.DFW-ish
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
I have returned!! Not that most of y'all know whom I am.
Mega-Awesome Avatar done by Dawn!
The Many Faces of GimliFett.
-
2007-09-14, 01:03 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2007
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
Yea, if it's CR 3, it isn't worth the experience compared to the danger. I don't think they have much treasure either. So about the only reason to attack one is if it is stone crab season and you want its claw.
Enlarge person helps because it can only use improved grab on creatures smaller than itself. But even just basic claw damage is gonna hurt.
I'm not sure how to do it, but the trick is to get it to grapple with two things that it can't damage. With its claws tied up, you can beat on it at your leisure. The trick is getting that at 3rd level.
-
2007-09-14, 01:29 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2006
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
In fact, I just realized that it's even worse than I thought, because it deals constrict damage on the same round that it starts the grapple. So each pincer actually deals 2d8+18 damage on the first hit. That's an average of 27. A third-level fighter with an 18 Con is only going to average 33 hit points...
Last edited by Dausuul; 2007-09-14 at 01:30 PM.
-
2007-09-14, 01:35 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- Trogland.Texas.DFW-ish
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
Maybe if you made an illusion of an ogre that attacks it, so it gets grabbed in the pincer and... Oh, yeah. Mindless.
If a 3rd-level sorcerer/wizard could cast magic missile 11 times, it'd average to about 66 points of damage. You could do it from a hole somewhere where it can't get to you. Who'm I kidding? This thing's just not a CR 3. Really, you probably need 3rd level spells to deal with it, so make it a CR 5. It'd still take 2 fireballs maxed, plus some additional damage to bring down. That sounds better.I have returned!! Not that most of y'all know whom I am.
Mega-Awesome Avatar done by Dawn!
The Many Faces of GimliFett.
-
2007-09-14, 01:48 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2006
- Gender
-
2007-09-14, 01:59 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- Trogland.Texas.DFW-ish
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
I have returned!! Not that most of y'all know whom I am.
Mega-Awesome Avatar done by Dawn!
The Many Faces of GimliFett.
-
2007-09-14, 02:08 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2007
- Gender
Re: That Damned Crab!
Grease on a character gives them +10 on their grapple checks to avoid a grapple. Level 3 fighter with 18 str would have +7 normally to this check... so 3 point advantage to crab still. Improved grapple would give you +4 for a 1 point advantage on the character, but it would take 2 feats to get it.
Enlarge person bypasses the whole free grapple thing (must be smaller than large), plus eliminates the AoO from moving through the reach zone. It also lasts MUCH longer than grease.
All of this assumes that you know you will be fighting said crab. If you stumble into it, you're screwed.
Someone should do an arena battle with a monstrous crab so people can test out their theories. 4 characters ECL 3, WBL (no one item more than half), have knowledge that you're up against this crab...
-
2007-09-14, 02:41 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
Re: That Damned Crab!
the case is that even when you know what you are up against, and actualy make the party to face it there is a decent chance someone dies, whatever they were smoking when this monster was created must have been some expensive ****.
thnx to Starwoof for the fine avatar