SlaadLord
2010-01-08, 11:09 PM
I know you're thinking, what's wrong with the original? The answer is, It can one-hit anything within 30 feet. As a free action. So, instead, I've changed a few things around. The notations of what, exactly, are below.
Basilisk
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 6d10 + 12 (45 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 20 ft., climb 5 ft.
AC: 16, touch 9, flat-footed 16 (-1 Dex, +7 natural)
Base Attack/ Grapple: +6/+8
Attack: Bite +9 melee (2d6 + 3)
Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (2d6 + 3)
Space/Reach: 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: Petrifying Gaze
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +10, Hide +0*, Listen +5, Spot +5
Feats: Blind-Fight, Improved Natural Attack (Bite), Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Warm Deserts
Organization: Solitary or colony (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 7-10 HD (medium), 11-18 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
Combat
Petrifying Gaze (Su): Slowed (as the spell) for 1d4 minutes on first failed save, turned to stone for 2d4 hours on second failed save, range 30 feet; Fortitude DC 13 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Skills: A basilisk’s dull coloration and ability to remain motionless for long periods of time grant it a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in natural settings. A basilisk has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. A basilisk must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a DC higher than 0, but it always can choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing
Speed: I gave the basilisk a climb speed because anything with eight legs should have a climb speed. Seriously. Plus this makes the basilisk into a considerably better ambush predator, dropping down on PCs from above.
Feats: I swapped out Alertness for Improved Natural Attack, making the basilisk's primary weapon a more potent threat. Taking out Great Fortitude for Weapon Focus (Bite) serves this same goal.
Petrifying Gaze: As I said above, this is a one-shot kill for the level of PCs this is meant to encounter. As a result, I weakened the original effect to a Slow effect and made the final effect temporary, hopefully giving anybody the basilisk leaves as a statue a chance to live.
All in all, I hope to make the basilisk into a monster whose main tactic is to unleash its gaze from an ambush spot and move in to attack, then once something turns to stone, make an effort to coup de grace. If this doesn't work out, this basilisk is still capable of posing a decent combat threat. Compare this to before, when the only significant threat was the threat of permanently being turned to stone.
Criticisms?
Basilisk
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 6d10 + 12 (45 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 20 ft., climb 5 ft.
AC: 16, touch 9, flat-footed 16 (-1 Dex, +7 natural)
Base Attack/ Grapple: +6/+8
Attack: Bite +9 melee (2d6 + 3)
Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (2d6 + 3)
Space/Reach: 5ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: Petrifying Gaze
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +3
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 8, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +10, Hide +0*, Listen +5, Spot +5
Feats: Blind-Fight, Improved Natural Attack (Bite), Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: Warm Deserts
Organization: Solitary or colony (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 5
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 7-10 HD (medium), 11-18 HD (Large)
Level Adjustment: -
Combat
Petrifying Gaze (Su): Slowed (as the spell) for 1d4 minutes on first failed save, turned to stone for 2d4 hours on second failed save, range 30 feet; Fortitude DC 13 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Skills: A basilisk’s dull coloration and ability to remain motionless for long periods of time grant it a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks in natural settings. A basilisk has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. A basilisk must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a DC higher than 0, but it always can choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing
Speed: I gave the basilisk a climb speed because anything with eight legs should have a climb speed. Seriously. Plus this makes the basilisk into a considerably better ambush predator, dropping down on PCs from above.
Feats: I swapped out Alertness for Improved Natural Attack, making the basilisk's primary weapon a more potent threat. Taking out Great Fortitude for Weapon Focus (Bite) serves this same goal.
Petrifying Gaze: As I said above, this is a one-shot kill for the level of PCs this is meant to encounter. As a result, I weakened the original effect to a Slow effect and made the final effect temporary, hopefully giving anybody the basilisk leaves as a statue a chance to live.
All in all, I hope to make the basilisk into a monster whose main tactic is to unleash its gaze from an ambush spot and move in to attack, then once something turns to stone, make an effort to coup de grace. If this doesn't work out, this basilisk is still capable of posing a decent combat threat. Compare this to before, when the only significant threat was the threat of permanently being turned to stone.
Criticisms?