Post by randosaurus on Mar 28, 2017 4:29:06 GMT
Here's a homebrew concept from a previous online forum I took part in.
It's a fun concept to play with, but it does take a considerable amount of preparation.
It's something of a solution for making battles more difficult/flavorful/interesting.
Let me know what you have for thoughts or notes:
"Segmenting" a Creature: For When You Want One Big Bad, But Only a Squad Will Do
We generally know that one Big Bad is usually an easier fight than an equal-on-paper group of 3-4 creatures, simply because no matter its level, the Big Bad gets only one turn each round, and has one pool of hit points and resources to work with.
Big Bads are typically the most conceptually impressive encounter, and sometimes a single massive bad guy is really the most logical or thematic choice...but the game as written does not tend to reward that choice unless you increase its level far beyond your players' ability to handle.
Recently, I've been reading up on an idea that attempts to have the best of both worlds: one massive, impressive creature to lend your climax an appropriately epic scope that also gets enough actions to not get overwhelmed by the PCs. Currently, I'm calling it a Segmented Creature: one creature that is treated as several separate ones (for purposes of targeting, HP, actions, and so on) by separating it into disparate segments. This allows for one creature to pose a proper challenge when heavily outnumbered, and allows you to replicate some interesting concepts that weren't necessarily available before.
The concept is kind of complicated, so I'll do my best to explain by giving an example of a single Big Bad and applying this process to it.
Disclaimer wrote:
Warning! Achtung! Etc. I have not yet had an opportunity to use this concept myself in an actual game situation. Theoretically, it should work out nicely, but there may be some adjustments needed, either in general or on-the-fly based on situation. If you like this idea enough to attempt using it yourself, I would *heavily* recommend that your first attempt be with something relatively easy, both to use and to kill, so you can get used to the concept and get some data for us to work with and critique.
I also do not recommend combining this concept at all with other rules you're unfamiliar with--for instance, if you're at all iffy on the grapple rules, a Segmented Tendriculos is a terrible place to try this out. This is an extremely advanced/experimental use of the ruleset, with lots of room for things to go wonky, so don't needlessly set yourself up for failure.
For our example, we're going to use a very simple example: a Huge Monstrous Scorpion. It's a melee beast with no spell-likes and few special abilities, which means it's abnormally easy to convert, but it also means it'll be easier to see exactly what's being done to the nuts and bolts of the critter. Here we go:
Step 1: Identify your segments. The number and identification of segments will vary based on your creature's anatomy and the difficulty level you desire (more segments = higher difficulty). Very broadly, your creature should have a Head and a Body; limbs bearing major modes of attack, movement types, or primary abilities should typically receive their own segments. In other cases, Head and Body may be close enough in function (compared to other parts and your desired difficulty level) to be taken as a single segment.
Our Example wrote:
In our example, the scorpion's head and body are pretty similar in function, and neither has anything distinct it ought to be able to do; however, not all creatures are going to be this way, so I'll divide them up for this example. It has three separate major limbs with attacks, so each of these can also be considered a segment. Considering we're looking at a basic example, this is a good division: Head, Body, Left Arm, Right Arm, Tail.
Step 2: Identify the creature's base statistics. In order to avoid over-complicating things, we try to unify as many of the creature's statistics as possible across segments. Initiative, AC, BAB, grapple mod, space/reach, resistances/immunities, DR, SR, saving throws, ability scores, feats, and skills should all generally stay the same for each segment...you can mix-and-match these as appropriate for your creature, but remember that the more of these are the same, the easier the creature will be to use.
Our Example wrote:
Scorpy's not too complicated when it comes to his stats and such, so everything listed above can stay the same for every segment. If you wanted to get creative, you could give a different Reach to his tail attack than to his claws, but for our purposes we'll leave these stats be.
Step 3: Apply hit point modifiers.
As part of this conversion process, a Segmented Creature typically winds up with many more hit points than its one-piece equivalent. This step will depend largely on physiology, but you can apply some basic rules of thumb:
- The creature's largest segment (usually Body) usually gets HP equal to the base creature's full max HP.
- Other major segments (such as Head and limbs bearing primary attacks) typically get 1/2 HP.
- Other segments with minor abilities or that are physiologically more fragile (tentacles, wings, eye-stalks) each get 1/4 to 1/3 HP.
Our Example wrote:
Scorpy as a base creature typically has 75 hp, so we'll start by giving his Body that number. His Head and both forward Arms are pretty major components, so we'll give them each half that number, or 37 hp. I'll do likewise with the Tail--we could call it a minor component, but in this particular case the poison attack is a pretty major portion of his attack power, and I'd hate to lose it after as little as 25 damage.
Step 4: Assign attacks and special abilities to each segment.
This tends to be pretty simple, since we're already pretty much divvying segments based on special abilities. Some quick notes, however:
- The creature's Head is usually the seat of any spell-like abilities it has. If the creature has actual spellcasting, it is also usually in the Head, but the removal of Arms may remove the ability to use somatic components.
- The Head is also usually the seat of sensory abilities, but this can vary. Tremorsense, for instance, is usually attached to either Legs or Body (or whatever body part is on the ground). Blindsense may represent feelers or other skin-based sensory receptors, or even some sort of internal gyroscopic organ. Use your own discretion.
- Any healing abilities (regeneration, etc.) are usually granted to the Body. Such abilities actually apply to all segments (for instance, a troll would regenerate 5 points of damage per round to *each* of its segments), but destroying the Body would end this effect for all parts (see Step 5).
- Movement abilities can vary a little bit. Base land speed is usually given to Body (or Legs, if they're separate). Flight is usually given to a Wings segment, allowing you to bring a flying creature down to your level. Swim is usually given to Tail, Body, or Legs as appropriate. Burrow is usually given to Arms.
- Some segments may have the ability to protect other segments, such as Arms being able to curl in and protect the Head and Body. These segments should get at least two abilities, cover guard and sacrifice, which are described in the stat-block at the bottom of this post.
Our Example wrote:
Scorpy's extraneous parts, the two Arms and the Tail, are defined by their attacks, which is easy enough; the two Claws each get a (gasp!) claw attack and the abilities that rely on the claws (improved grab and constrict), while the Tail gets the sting attack and attendant poison. Because of how powerful Scorpy's arms are, I'll give them the ability to protect the Head and Body.
Scorpy has tremorsense, which we give to the Body, while other sensory abilities go to the Head. Movement is likewise given to the Body.
It's not usually this easy, but again, we're going simple for our first time. *g*
Step 5: Determine the effects of segment loss.
In this step, you get to try and apply logic to DnD. Oh, won't this be fun!
First you need to decide, based on your creature's physiology, what parts of it are vital and what are not, as this will determine how your creature dies. Some creatures with unusual physiologies, such as a Gibbering Mouther, may not die until every last piece is torn asunder. Others, such as a Vampire, may die once their Head alone reaches -10. For creatures with unusual but not totally alien physiology, a requirement of Head or Body to function is probably good (this prevents one lucky head-shot from killing your entire encounter, while still imposing significant penalties--see below).
Next, determine what penalties your creature takes for losing a particular segment. Segments with attacks will have these attacks become available, for instance. Segments that provide movement, such as Wings or Legs, will have speed slowed or eliminated (a creature with eight Legs, for instance, might lose 5 feet of speed for every one severed, while a creature with only two Wings might lose flight entirely if one gets ripped off). Segments providing sensory abilities will see those go away, possibly rendering the creature blinded, deafened, or more.
If you decide that the Head is not necessarily vital to life in and of itself, significant penalties should still be assigned to its demise. Typically, above and beyond losing most sensory and spell-like abilities, a creature whose head has been irreparably damaged will be confused (or some similar effect).
Our Example wrote:
Again, Scorpy's pretty simple. In this case, since head and body are so similar (and Scorpy's already got Int -), I'm going to say both Head and Body have to go down for Scorpy to die. Demise of the Head alone, as suggested, leads to the blind and confused conditions in addition to ability loss. Loss of the Body means that Scorpy's going to have a hard time moving--his speed isn't removed completely, but with most of his legs probably gone, he's only crawling at 10 feet/round. Loss of other segments simply leads to the loss of any attacks and attached special abilities.
And that's that! After all of the above steps are done, we're left with the following stat-block:
Our Example wrote:
Scorpy, Huge Monstrous Scorpion (Base Creature CR 7)
TN Huge vermin (segmented)
Segments Head, body, 2 arms, tail
Hit Dice 10d8+30 (75); HP Multipliers Head x1/2, Body x1, Arms x1/2, Tail x1/2
Init +0; AC 20, touch 8, flat-footed 20
Space 15; Reach 10
Base Atk +7; Grp +21
Abilities Str 23, Dex 10, Con 16, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
Special Scorpy dies if both the Head and Body are reduced to -10 hit points. Any segment can be healed even if reduced below 0 hit points, but cannot be healed if it drops below -10 hp (at this point, that segment can be considered severed, at DM discretion).
Scorpy - Head
HP 37
Senses Listen +0, Spot +4; darkvision 60 ft.
Special If the Head is reduced to 0 hit points, Scorpy loses the benefits of darkvision, and is rendered blind and confused.
Scorpy - Body
HP 75
Senses tremorsense 60 ft.
Speed 50 ft. (10 squares)
Special If the Body is reduced to 0 hit points, Scorpy's speed is reduced to 10 feet and he loses the tremorsense ability.
Scorpy - Arms (2)
HP 37
Atk claw +11 melee (1d8+6)
SA constrict 1d8+6, cover guard, improved grab, sacrifice
Constrict (Ex) Scorpy deals automatic claw damage on a successful grapple check.
Cover Guard (Ex) So long as at least one arm is functional, Scorpy's Body and Head gain the benefits of evasion.
Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, Scorpy must hit with a claw attack.
Sacrifice (Ex) As an immediate action, Scorpy can use one of his arms to take the effects of an attack in place of another body part.
Special If an Arm is reduced to 0 hit points, Scorpy can no longer use it to attack, nor use any of its special abilities.
Scorpy - Tail
HP 37
Atk sting +6 melee (2d4+3 plus poison)
SA poison
Poison (Ex) 1d6 Con/1d6 Con, Fortitude DC 18.
Special If the Tail is reduced to 0 hit points, Scorpy can no longer use it to attack.
Even though we selected a totally unintelligent creature with few special abilities and a straight-forward style, adding this "template" has given it more options and tactical depth, and made it a more formidable adversary for a full team of opponents, requiring teamwork and forethought to defeat--one could easily imagine a creature of this sort at the climax of an adventure!
Quick Mechanics Notes wrote:
A few quick notes on how certain abilities interact with Segmented Creatures before closing:
1. Area-of-effect abilities, such as fireball, affect all parts of a segmented creature. To save time, roll one save for the creature as a whole, then apply effects to each segment. (Note: Some segments will take such effects differently than others--in the example above, for instance, Scorpy's head and body have evasion if he still has arms, so they may take less damage.)
2. Successful death effects targeted on a given segment reduce it to -10 hit points.
3. Certain status effects will only have an effect on certain segments. Blindness, for example, will only affect a segment with sensory capabilities attached. Other effects (such as paralysis) can affect any segment equally.
4. Segmented creatures make awesome grapplers, as each segment is treated as its own creature, so a segment can initiate a grapple while the rest of the creature is free to act normally.
If any of you decide to try this concept out, let me know how it works for you. Above all, have fun with it!
It's a fun concept to play with, but it does take a considerable amount of preparation.
It's something of a solution for making battles more difficult/flavorful/interesting.
Let me know what you have for thoughts or notes:
"Segmenting" a Creature: For When You Want One Big Bad, But Only a Squad Will Do
We generally know that one Big Bad is usually an easier fight than an equal-on-paper group of 3-4 creatures, simply because no matter its level, the Big Bad gets only one turn each round, and has one pool of hit points and resources to work with.
Big Bads are typically the most conceptually impressive encounter, and sometimes a single massive bad guy is really the most logical or thematic choice...but the game as written does not tend to reward that choice unless you increase its level far beyond your players' ability to handle.
Recently, I've been reading up on an idea that attempts to have the best of both worlds: one massive, impressive creature to lend your climax an appropriately epic scope that also gets enough actions to not get overwhelmed by the PCs. Currently, I'm calling it a Segmented Creature: one creature that is treated as several separate ones (for purposes of targeting, HP, actions, and so on) by separating it into disparate segments. This allows for one creature to pose a proper challenge when heavily outnumbered, and allows you to replicate some interesting concepts that weren't necessarily available before.
The concept is kind of complicated, so I'll do my best to explain by giving an example of a single Big Bad and applying this process to it.
Disclaimer wrote:
Warning! Achtung! Etc. I have not yet had an opportunity to use this concept myself in an actual game situation. Theoretically, it should work out nicely, but there may be some adjustments needed, either in general or on-the-fly based on situation. If you like this idea enough to attempt using it yourself, I would *heavily* recommend that your first attempt be with something relatively easy, both to use and to kill, so you can get used to the concept and get some data for us to work with and critique.
I also do not recommend combining this concept at all with other rules you're unfamiliar with--for instance, if you're at all iffy on the grapple rules, a Segmented Tendriculos is a terrible place to try this out. This is an extremely advanced/experimental use of the ruleset, with lots of room for things to go wonky, so don't needlessly set yourself up for failure.
For our example, we're going to use a very simple example: a Huge Monstrous Scorpion. It's a melee beast with no spell-likes and few special abilities, which means it's abnormally easy to convert, but it also means it'll be easier to see exactly what's being done to the nuts and bolts of the critter. Here we go:
Step 1: Identify your segments. The number and identification of segments will vary based on your creature's anatomy and the difficulty level you desire (more segments = higher difficulty). Very broadly, your creature should have a Head and a Body; limbs bearing major modes of attack, movement types, or primary abilities should typically receive their own segments. In other cases, Head and Body may be close enough in function (compared to other parts and your desired difficulty level) to be taken as a single segment.
Our Example wrote:
In our example, the scorpion's head and body are pretty similar in function, and neither has anything distinct it ought to be able to do; however, not all creatures are going to be this way, so I'll divide them up for this example. It has three separate major limbs with attacks, so each of these can also be considered a segment. Considering we're looking at a basic example, this is a good division: Head, Body, Left Arm, Right Arm, Tail.
Step 2: Identify the creature's base statistics. In order to avoid over-complicating things, we try to unify as many of the creature's statistics as possible across segments. Initiative, AC, BAB, grapple mod, space/reach, resistances/immunities, DR, SR, saving throws, ability scores, feats, and skills should all generally stay the same for each segment...you can mix-and-match these as appropriate for your creature, but remember that the more of these are the same, the easier the creature will be to use.
Our Example wrote:
Scorpy's not too complicated when it comes to his stats and such, so everything listed above can stay the same for every segment. If you wanted to get creative, you could give a different Reach to his tail attack than to his claws, but for our purposes we'll leave these stats be.
Step 3: Apply hit point modifiers.
As part of this conversion process, a Segmented Creature typically winds up with many more hit points than its one-piece equivalent. This step will depend largely on physiology, but you can apply some basic rules of thumb:
- The creature's largest segment (usually Body) usually gets HP equal to the base creature's full max HP.
- Other major segments (such as Head and limbs bearing primary attacks) typically get 1/2 HP.
- Other segments with minor abilities or that are physiologically more fragile (tentacles, wings, eye-stalks) each get 1/4 to 1/3 HP.
Our Example wrote:
Scorpy as a base creature typically has 75 hp, so we'll start by giving his Body that number. His Head and both forward Arms are pretty major components, so we'll give them each half that number, or 37 hp. I'll do likewise with the Tail--we could call it a minor component, but in this particular case the poison attack is a pretty major portion of his attack power, and I'd hate to lose it after as little as 25 damage.
Step 4: Assign attacks and special abilities to each segment.
This tends to be pretty simple, since we're already pretty much divvying segments based on special abilities. Some quick notes, however:
- The creature's Head is usually the seat of any spell-like abilities it has. If the creature has actual spellcasting, it is also usually in the Head, but the removal of Arms may remove the ability to use somatic components.
- The Head is also usually the seat of sensory abilities, but this can vary. Tremorsense, for instance, is usually attached to either Legs or Body (or whatever body part is on the ground). Blindsense may represent feelers or other skin-based sensory receptors, or even some sort of internal gyroscopic organ. Use your own discretion.
- Any healing abilities (regeneration, etc.) are usually granted to the Body. Such abilities actually apply to all segments (for instance, a troll would regenerate 5 points of damage per round to *each* of its segments), but destroying the Body would end this effect for all parts (see Step 5).
- Movement abilities can vary a little bit. Base land speed is usually given to Body (or Legs, if they're separate). Flight is usually given to a Wings segment, allowing you to bring a flying creature down to your level. Swim is usually given to Tail, Body, or Legs as appropriate. Burrow is usually given to Arms.
- Some segments may have the ability to protect other segments, such as Arms being able to curl in and protect the Head and Body. These segments should get at least two abilities, cover guard and sacrifice, which are described in the stat-block at the bottom of this post.
Our Example wrote:
Scorpy's extraneous parts, the two Arms and the Tail, are defined by their attacks, which is easy enough; the two Claws each get a (gasp!) claw attack and the abilities that rely on the claws (improved grab and constrict), while the Tail gets the sting attack and attendant poison. Because of how powerful Scorpy's arms are, I'll give them the ability to protect the Head and Body.
Scorpy has tremorsense, which we give to the Body, while other sensory abilities go to the Head. Movement is likewise given to the Body.
It's not usually this easy, but again, we're going simple for our first time. *g*
Step 5: Determine the effects of segment loss.
In this step, you get to try and apply logic to DnD. Oh, won't this be fun!
First you need to decide, based on your creature's physiology, what parts of it are vital and what are not, as this will determine how your creature dies. Some creatures with unusual physiologies, such as a Gibbering Mouther, may not die until every last piece is torn asunder. Others, such as a Vampire, may die once their Head alone reaches -10. For creatures with unusual but not totally alien physiology, a requirement of Head or Body to function is probably good (this prevents one lucky head-shot from killing your entire encounter, while still imposing significant penalties--see below).
Next, determine what penalties your creature takes for losing a particular segment. Segments with attacks will have these attacks become available, for instance. Segments that provide movement, such as Wings or Legs, will have speed slowed or eliminated (a creature with eight Legs, for instance, might lose 5 feet of speed for every one severed, while a creature with only two Wings might lose flight entirely if one gets ripped off). Segments providing sensory abilities will see those go away, possibly rendering the creature blinded, deafened, or more.
If you decide that the Head is not necessarily vital to life in and of itself, significant penalties should still be assigned to its demise. Typically, above and beyond losing most sensory and spell-like abilities, a creature whose head has been irreparably damaged will be confused (or some similar effect).
Our Example wrote:
Again, Scorpy's pretty simple. In this case, since head and body are so similar (and Scorpy's already got Int -), I'm going to say both Head and Body have to go down for Scorpy to die. Demise of the Head alone, as suggested, leads to the blind and confused conditions in addition to ability loss. Loss of the Body means that Scorpy's going to have a hard time moving--his speed isn't removed completely, but with most of his legs probably gone, he's only crawling at 10 feet/round. Loss of other segments simply leads to the loss of any attacks and attached special abilities.
And that's that! After all of the above steps are done, we're left with the following stat-block:
Our Example wrote:
Scorpy, Huge Monstrous Scorpion (Base Creature CR 7)
TN Huge vermin (segmented)
Segments Head, body, 2 arms, tail
Hit Dice 10d8+30 (75); HP Multipliers Head x1/2, Body x1, Arms x1/2, Tail x1/2
Init +0; AC 20, touch 8, flat-footed 20
Space 15; Reach 10
Base Atk +7; Grp +21
Abilities Str 23, Dex 10, Con 16, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 2
Special Scorpy dies if both the Head and Body are reduced to -10 hit points. Any segment can be healed even if reduced below 0 hit points, but cannot be healed if it drops below -10 hp (at this point, that segment can be considered severed, at DM discretion).
Scorpy - Head
HP 37
Senses Listen +0, Spot +4; darkvision 60 ft.
Special If the Head is reduced to 0 hit points, Scorpy loses the benefits of darkvision, and is rendered blind and confused.
Scorpy - Body
HP 75
Senses tremorsense 60 ft.
Speed 50 ft. (10 squares)
Special If the Body is reduced to 0 hit points, Scorpy's speed is reduced to 10 feet and he loses the tremorsense ability.
Scorpy - Arms (2)
HP 37
Atk claw +11 melee (1d8+6)
SA constrict 1d8+6, cover guard, improved grab, sacrifice
Constrict (Ex) Scorpy deals automatic claw damage on a successful grapple check.
Cover Guard (Ex) So long as at least one arm is functional, Scorpy's Body and Head gain the benefits of evasion.
Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, Scorpy must hit with a claw attack.
Sacrifice (Ex) As an immediate action, Scorpy can use one of his arms to take the effects of an attack in place of another body part.
Special If an Arm is reduced to 0 hit points, Scorpy can no longer use it to attack, nor use any of its special abilities.
Scorpy - Tail
HP 37
Atk sting +6 melee (2d4+3 plus poison)
SA poison
Poison (Ex) 1d6 Con/1d6 Con, Fortitude DC 18.
Special If the Tail is reduced to 0 hit points, Scorpy can no longer use it to attack.
Even though we selected a totally unintelligent creature with few special abilities and a straight-forward style, adding this "template" has given it more options and tactical depth, and made it a more formidable adversary for a full team of opponents, requiring teamwork and forethought to defeat--one could easily imagine a creature of this sort at the climax of an adventure!
Quick Mechanics Notes wrote:
A few quick notes on how certain abilities interact with Segmented Creatures before closing:
1. Area-of-effect abilities, such as fireball, affect all parts of a segmented creature. To save time, roll one save for the creature as a whole, then apply effects to each segment. (Note: Some segments will take such effects differently than others--in the example above, for instance, Scorpy's head and body have evasion if he still has arms, so they may take less damage.)
2. Successful death effects targeted on a given segment reduce it to -10 hit points.
3. Certain status effects will only have an effect on certain segments. Blindness, for example, will only affect a segment with sensory capabilities attached. Other effects (such as paralysis) can affect any segment equally.
4. Segmented creatures make awesome grapplers, as each segment is treated as its own creature, so a segment can initiate a grapple while the rest of the creature is free to act normally.
If any of you decide to try this concept out, let me know how it works for you. Above all, have fun with it!
