Swinging Charges (or How To Potentially Kill Yourself in One Easy Step)

[Aotrs Commander]

Question.

You are a two-foot-little-else tall psychotic ball of insanity with a tiny knife, just big enough to count has having non-zero reach, no concept of impulse control or thinking consequences through. It occurs to your jaded little mind that swinging out of a tree, cackling manically, to attack hapless Biggers (i.e. anyone bigger than you) seems like a jolly hilarious idea, even though it may not occur to you that you may not possess the requiste skills.

What sort of skill check is this going to require? Tumble/Acrobatics? Use Rope?

What sort of DC, assuming that the expected result is that some of you should succeed (the mechanical advantages of which are being modelled as essentially a fluffed up charge), and some of you expected to die horribly1 to your mate's (and probably the Bigger's) collective amusement?

(A quick google search turned up nothing useful in the rules, nor are any of the swashbuckling classes or PrC classes offering any ideas, which is a bit off, since chandelier swinging and the like is kind of their thing...)



1Given your racial tendacy to something so fundementally stupid, you kill yourself if you roll a 1 or fail a check by 5 or more points.

[Flickerdart]

I'd do this with a feat (Fly-by Attack, or Ride-By Attack if you want it to be a charge, or Spring Attack if you hate fun) instead.

[Lonely Tylenol]

Use Rope DC10 (+2 for each range increment beyond the first for a thrown grappling hook) to secure the hook.
Jump DC10 (an easily passable jump by normal circumstances) to jump a secure distance and gain momentum for the swing.
Climb DC15 to maintain your grasp on the rope while swinging (the objective is to hit 11 or better; you maintain your grip on whatever you're making the check against if you fail by 4 or less)
Attack roll by the swinger
Attacks of opportunity against the swinger (denied both your DEX bonus and shield, as per the one-handed maintaining a grip while doing things rule)
Tumble DC15 to avoid 10 feet of falling damage after the fact (or a DC30 to avoid 20 feet, etc).

If you feel the need to make the checks more difficult, the Climb check can be made at a slight circumstance penalty due to being both with one hand and clinging to a moving rope (or you could up the DC, or make it a Strength check against encumbrance, although Climb does have the rules for it), or the attack roll (use the Levitate rules for cumulative -1 penalties), or perhaps the Tumble check (adjusting the DC from 15 to 20 would be suitable for the circumstances, but probably no more). Frankly, I see no reason to--each of these checks is reasonably difficult to accomplish, in that one can't take 10 on them without having 4 ranks in Climb and Tumble plus at least 12 STR and DEX (which represents "above average" and "some training" together), and if one can't take 10 at all (because of being rushed or threatened), he acts carry with them a reasonable risk of failure unless you're at least level 2 with 5 ranks in Jump, Tumble, Climb, and Use Rope, and, say, a 16 in STR and DEX (representing a little deeper and much broader training, plus exceptional physique), which would give you a +8 to the Use Rope check (reasonable success), +10 to the Jump check (an auto-pass), +10 to the Climb check (passes on a 5 or better, and only fails on by 5 or more on a 1), and +10 to the Tumble check (reasonable chance of failure after the fact).

[Slipperychicken]

In PF, where the Acrobatics skill exists, I'd say use that. Without Acrobatics, I'd peg this as a Climb check to hold on well enough with one hand that you could attack with the other. Since you could make an argument for Use Rope, you can use that skill if your modifier is higher (and I now have the mental image of sailors or Pirates doing this stunt too).

You're basically holding on for dear life, while swinging at an opponent, while attacking with one hand, I'll say the closest analogy is Ride. Since the DC to control an ordinary mount in combat (and thus attack while riding it), which resembles conceptually what you're trying to accomplish here (control a vine with one hand, attack with the other), is 20...

I'll say it's Climb/Acrobatics DC 20, and a Full Round action (since its mechanically a charge), and you provoke AoOs as normal, but cannot Tumble without a sufficiently high check. If you fail the check by five or less (roll 15-19), you hang on well enough to complete the swing, but not well enough to attack. If you fail the check by more than five (roll 14 or less), you lose your grip and fall mid-swing. If you make the check by five or more (25 or higher), you're allowed a Tumble check to avoid AoOs as normal.

[Tyndmyr]

By RAW? Jump DC = feet jumped. DM may give you circumstance bonuses for being above the target and/or using a grappling hook.

If you continue swinging past the target, you will provoke.

[Aotrs Commander]

I'm thinking more of a traditional swashbuckler-swing-on the chandelier-boot-dude-in-face entrance charge, (or the pirate swing-across-and-boot-dude-into-sea-dismount-to-deck) rather than actual fighting from said rope (which would, one feels, require some actual level of competant training to attempt). After the aforementioned two-foot balls of Chaotic Stupid make their "charge", they'll be fighting on the ground.

Though one thinks perhaps if they miss touch AC, they ought to provoke an AoO as the haplessly swing past...

(The ropes will have been securely positioned beforehand for the specific purpose - Chaotic Stupid though they may be, they do know how to make stuff, if only to make erratically functioning stuff that's likely to explodinate in and/or chop off their faces...)

[Zaq]

1Given your racial tendacy to something so fundementally stupid, you kill yourself if you roll a 1 or fail a check by 5 or more points.

This seems like a Horrible Death Check. Are you mixing Kobolds Ate My Baby with 3.5? I can't decide if that's awesome or terrible.

[Arbane]

Use Rope DC10 (+2 for each range increment beyond the first for a thrown grappling hook) to secure the hook.
Jump DC10 (an easily passable jump by normal circumstances) to jump a secure distance and gain momentum for the swing.
Climb DC15 to maintain your grasp on the rope while swinging (the objective is to hit 11 or better; you maintain your grip on whatever you're making the check against if you fail by 4 or less)
Attack roll by the swinger
Attacks of opportunity against the swinger (denied both your DEX bonus and shield, as per the one-handed maintaining a grip while doing things rule)
Tumble DC15 to avoid 10 feet of falling damage after the fact (or a DC30 to avoid 20 feet, etc).

If you feel the need to make the checks more difficult,

Why would you need to do that? You've already made melee's inability to have Nice Things crystal clear. :smallconfused:

[Slipperychicken]

Why would you need to do that? You've already made melee's inability to have Nice Things crystal clear. :smallconfused:

I think WotC beat him to it.:smallannoyed:

That's always made me feel a bit awful inside: that Magic gets to transcend not just mortal restrictions, but even the few flimsy restrictions that are supposed to apply to magic (duration, spells/day), while nonmagical characters are still bound to all the mortal limitations we deal with every day.

[Arbane]

I think WotC beat him to it.:smallannoyed:

That's always made me feel a bit awful inside: that Magic gets to transcend not just mortal restrictions, but even the few flimsy restrictions that are supposed to apply to magic (duration, spells/day), while nonmagical characters are still bound to all the mortal limitations we deal with every day.

Yup. it occurs to me that a lot of D&D skillmonkeys, allegedly 'talented' and 'heroic', aren't even as skilled as people in REAL LIFE. Like that guy who walked across a tightrope over Niagara falls WHILE CARRYING A MAN ON HIS BACK (http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/eyeon/nik-wallenda/history-of-tightrope-niagara-falls/). I'm pretty sure most GMs wouldn't let you take 10 in that situation...

[Lonely Tylenol]

Why would you need to do that? You've already made melee's inability to have Nice Things crystal clear. :smallconfused:

Because he's stated his desire to include the risk of Horrible Kobold Death (I'm assuming Kobold; Zaq's post), which becomes obsolete for any swashbuckling type of 2nd level or higher due to skill ranks and synergies (assuming decent to good attribute scores and Take 10 rules). If it was me (and it has been me; I have had characters combine skill checks in just this fashion), I would use the RAW, which is, in order:

Use Rope DC10 (+2 for each range increment of the throw)
Jump DC10
Climb DC15 (but only needs to beat 11 to hang on)
Attack roll, bull rush, or grapple attempt (to sweep the Kobold wenches off their feet)
Attack of opportunity (if able)
Tumble DC15

And allow the player to Take 10 on the Use Rope, Jump and Climb, if they feel it possible. But for someone whose stated intentions are "Horrible Kobold Death on failures of 5 or more", making them checks that a level 2 acrobatic skill monkey can all auto-pass doesn't satisfy that character's specific needs.

[Aotrs Commander]

This seems like a Horrible Death Check. Are you mixing Kobolds Ate My Baby with 3.5? I can't decide if that's awesome or terrible.

Not a million miles away at all, actually, though more by co-incidence than by design!

The creatures in question are this world's gremlins, which are basically very actually Chaotic Stupid (the ability is even called that), and are designed as cackling, crazy lunatics with no sense of self-preservation and the inability to think things through. They are actually outsiders that pop into the world through means unknown (it's assumed that they must still be popping in, given that even thier high fertility rate can't compensate for their ridiculous mortaility rate). Their entire culture is basically based around aping the things they see the Biggers do, only the never quite get the understanding right. They are actually quite intelligent (they are extremely good at making traps and other mechanical ways of hurting people), but with a stupendously low Wisdom. They are supposed to die in droves (baseline Gremlins have only one hitpoint) and are intended to fall on the line between stupid and funny, and into the fridge horror when examined in detail, because they are vicious, murderous little monsters when all's said and done. (The PCs are after them in this advanture because, having watched a cult of Bigger clerics, they've stolen a baby and intend to sacrifice it in their own mock ceremony because it looked like fun. The ceremony, of course, being basically a poorly understood pantomime, will not work, though murdering babies is about as sure a fire a way to create mylings as possible...)

They're basically bottom-level antagonists for low-level parties (though as they advance by characte class, and technically no class is closed to them, so you could use them for higher ones. But that somewhat defeats the point of them dying frequently and comedically.)

You may blame Pathfinder (specifically the goblins in Rise of the Runelords) the Gremin movie and a bit of the goblins of Labyrinth for the inspiration, with a bit of GW Snotlings into the mix for flavour...

I could cheerfully post their bestiary entry if anyone's interested.



I'd like to get it down to one relatively simple skill check (as really, there's not much gain aside from calling it a flashy charge, unless maybe you give them the +1 for higher ground); it is the sort of thing the PCs should be able to accomplish with reasonable ease themselves.

As there's not much of a consensus here (partly why I made the thread in the first place, as the google results didn't suggest anything that stands out either), my nominal thought was a DC 15 Use Rope check (they actually have Use Rope skill) or something like a DC 10 Acrobatics/Tumble check1 (which they don't.)

Climb doesn't quite seem to fit, though really, none of the skills ideally suit the situation, which is something of a flaw, given it's a pretty common mundane action trope!



1I'm not technically playing either 3.5 or 3.P, but 3.Aotrs, which cribs the best bits of both with my house rules (and I decided that a lot of Pathfinder's houserules weren't better than mine - though to be fair, also a lot of them are), so anything in either set of rules is up for debate.

[Lonely Tylenol]

Not a million miles away at all, actually, though more by co-incidence than by design!

The creatures in question are this world's gremlins, which are basically very actually Chaotic Stupid (the ability is even called that), and are designed as cackling, crazy lunatics with no sense of self-preservation and the inability to think things through. They are actually outsiders that pop into the world through means unknown (it's assumed that they must still be popping in, given that even thier high fertility rate can't compensate for their ridiculous mortaility rate). Their entire culture is basically based around aping the things they see the Biggers do, only the never quite get the understanding right. They are actually quite intelligent (they are extremely good at making traps and other mechanical ways of hurting people), but with a stupendously low Wisdom. They are supposed to die in droves (baseline Gremlins have only one hitpoint) and are intended to fall on the line between stupid and funny, and into the fridge horror when examined in detail, because they are vicious, murderous little monsters when all's said and done. (The PCs are after them in this advanture because, having watched a cult of Bigger clerics, they've stolen a baby and intend to sacrifice it in their own mock ceremony because it looked like fun. The ceremony, of course, being basically a poorly understood pantomime, will not work, though murdering babies is about as sure a fire a way to create mylings as possible...)

They're basically bottom-level antagonists for low-level parties (though as they advance by characte class, and technically no class is closed to them, so you could use them for higher ones. But that somewhat defeats the point of them dying frequently and comedically.)

You may blame Pathfinder (specifically the goblins in Rise of the Runelords) the Gremin movie and a bit of the goblins of Labyrinth for the inspiration, with a bit of GW Snotlings into the mix for flavour...

I could cheerfully post their bestiary entry if anyone's interested.

Actually... I kind of am. :smallamused:


I'd like to get it down to one relatively simple skill check (as really, there's not much gain aside from calling it a flashy charge, unless maybe you give them the +1 for higher ground); it is the sort of thing the PCs should be able to accomplish with reasonable ease themselves.

As there's not much of a consensus here (partly why I made the thread in the first place, as the google results didn't suggest anything that stands out either), my nominal thought was a DC 15 Use Rope check (they actually have Use Rope skill) or something like a DC 10 Acrobatics/Tumble check1 (which they don't.)

Climb doesn't quite seem to fit, though really, none of the skills ideally suit the situation, which is something of a flaw, given it's a pretty common mundane action trope!

Climb, in general, doesn't seem to fit, since the characters aren't climbing, but climb has special provisions for holding on with one hand, which do.

As far as your requests are concerned, I can cover "reasonably easy to do" and "specifically covers the stated actions", but not with "single simple skill check". I would probably make it a single Acrobatics check, with at least DC15, since that is the highest check among them (and/or up the DC by 2 or so for each complicated action being performed, so the swing itself is easier if you don't roll out of it, with the obvious implications of not doing so).

[Aotrs Commander]

Actually... I kind of am. :smallamused:

Gremlin
Horrid little creatures, Gremlins can appear anywhere to spread mischief and chaos.

Originally extraplanar creatures,Gremlins now infest the world. In fact, some scholars believe that the only reason the little blighters survive the near unilateral hostility of other races is because occasionally, more Gremlins pop out of whatever plane they originated from.

A Gremlin is a two-foot tall, spindly humanoid. They have overly large heads with a wide, grinning mouth full of sharp teeth. They are usually light grey to charcoal in colour, though this may vary by tribe. They are naturally hairless, but quite prone to making wigs from hair – or anything else that’s handy – when aping other creatures. Their eyes are bright, but may be of any vivid colour; most often yellow to red or green to blue. They are surprisingly strong for their size, but any natural dexterity is compensated by their utter lack of focus.

Physiologically, Gremlins are psuedo-mammals, with mostly mammalian features (save for the dentition and lack of hair).

Gremlins are not particularly dangerous in small numbers, but in large ones they amount to a plague. They delight in causing mischief and wickedness wherever they go. Some of these pranks are merely on the mean side, but they often escalate to being violent or murderous. They have a cruel sense of humour and find nothing so funny as another creature – even a fellow Gremlin – suffering. A bored Gremlin is something to be feared, as it will inevitably find something silly, cruel and likely dangerous to do to some other unsuspecting soul. Gremlins are cheerfully evil; they’d delightedly eat babies, given half a chance, for no other reason than the distress it causes the biggers and the funny sounds they make.

Gremlins are actually quite intelligent and very creative; they have a certain knack for mechanical objects, and while inventing itself is not normally a Gremlin strength, they adapt to new technology (like the clockwork in Ciracan) with aptitude. They are experts at taking things apart to see how they work, and they can sometimes even put them back together again afterwards – with some suitably amusing ‘additions’. What stops them being more dangerous is their poor impulse control and utter inability to think things through to a logical conclusion. This invariably leads to the Gremlin doing something so incredibly stupid it kills itself in some ridiculous fashion, to the general mirth of its former comrades.

Fortunately for Gremlins, they breed with shocking speed and female Gremlins become fertile mere hours after birth; given the exceedingly high mortality rate of the species, however, it it not surprising.

Gremlins do not have much of a society of their own, aside from a basic tribal structure lead by one Gremlin who has manage to survive long enough to actually have some experience. So they like to adopt the culture of the ‘biggers’ (i.e. anybody larger than a Gremlin) and naturally gravitate to settled areas, where they make clothes and wigs from scrap and refuse and ape the people above. The trouble is, while Gremlins are very adept at mimicking their adoptive culture, they never really quite ‘get’ it and as a result, their copy tends to be a mockery of the original.

Numerous times in the past, adventurers have discovered Gremlin settlements beneath cities; Nepitar is a favourite as it has large, spacious sewers. There, they have been discovered to have an entire senate, complete with an Emperor.

Gremlins are fascinated by plays and theatre (and the more violent circuses of Validuslum or tornaments of Galause). They find the sight of biggers pretending to be other biggers hilarious, even if the subject matter is serious. Many atimes the rafters of playhouses are filled with giggling Gremlins, who occasionally throw things and make their own running commentary in their peculiar little language.

Gremlins are far too chaotic for their crafting skills to be put to any constructive use. On occasions, evil wizards have tried to make use of their services, as they have to be watched like a hawk or else they become bored or find something more fun (i.e.destructive) to do.

Gremlins speak their own tongue, Gremil, and if they can speak additional lagunages, the first is usually the language of their locale (most often Linundin or Kulobrak).

COMBAT
Gremlins fight in a disorganised fashion. Though they will sometimes try to use tactics they'd seen other biggers do, or when directed to by a slightly more senior Gremlin, these tend to be more attempts than successes. They will climb onto things, leap off them, try and swarm larger opponents; whatever seems most ‘fun’ at the time.

Gremlins love fire; the cannot see in the dark, so this behoves them to use torches, with all the inherent disasters this entails.

Given their penchant for crafting, Gremlins are usually well equipped with weapons and occasionally armour (when they remember; armour is not as ‘fun’ as weapons). They have been know to show up to attack villages complete with siege weapons. Catapults are a particular favourite of theirs, designed to throw rocks, Validus fire and frequently, other Gremlins...

Gremlin
Typical Gremlin (Gremlin)
Tiny Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Native)
HD ½D8-1 (1hp) Init +2 SPD 30’ SPACE 2½/5*
AC 14/14/12 (+2 Size, +2 Dex)
BAB/GRAPPLE +1/-10
ATTACK +5 Shortsword (D3-2, 19-20) or +5 Bite (D4-2) or +5 Sling (D2-2)
+5 Shortsword (D3-2, 19-20), +0 Bite (D4-2)
SQ Chaotic Stupid, Low-Light Vision, Trapfinding
SV (+0) Fort +1 Ref +3 Will -1
Str 7 Dex 15 Con 9 Int 12 Wis 4 Cha 12 AL Always CE
Bluff +5, Craft (Trapmaking) +9, Craft (Weaponsmithing) +9, Disable Device +9, Stealth +14, Open Lock +6 (+8 with tools), Search +5, Use Rope +6, Use Magic Device +5
Swarmfighting, Weapon FinesseB
Skills: + 2 racial bonus to all Craft skills, Disable Device and Open Lock
CR ¼ (1 HD, 1/3) The CR of a Gremlin with NPC classes is equal to class level -1.
* Gremlins are right on the border of Small and Tiny creatures, and so are just big enough and just agile enough to count as having a non-zero (i.e. 5’) reach; otherwise they are normal Tiny creatures.
Advancement: 1 HD or by character class
Environment Any land; (Outsider, any); either
Organisation: Tribe (12-120)

Chaotic Stupid (Ex): If a Gremlin attempts an ability or skill check and fails by five or more points, it must make a DC 10 Wisdom check or do something so fundementally stupid it deals itself D6 damage. This applies only to checks it initiates itself (i.e not to those made in reaction to another creature’s actions.)

It also deals this damage to itself any time it rolls on natural 1 on any attack roll, ability check or skill check. (This stacks with the damage if it also fails a check by 5 or more points.)

Gremlin characters: The stats above are for a typical Gremlin of stats 9,13,11,10,8,10. Gremlins show a wide diversity of professions of all sorts (save Paladins); thus Gremlins of all classes are possible. Most often, though, they are fighters or rogues. Divine spellcasters are usually rare; partly because Gremlins are inherently unable to understand what servitude to a greater being is, and partly because they just are not suited to a role that requires some introspection or wisdom.

Gremlins are almost always Chaotic Evil, with the few exceptions who are Neutral or Lawful Evil. Nonevil Gremlins do not exist.




Climb, in general, doesn't seem to fit, since the characters aren't climbing, but climb has special provisions for holding on with one hand, which do.

As far as your requests are concerned, I can cover "reasonably easy to do" and "specifically covers the stated actions", but not with "single simple skill check". I would probably make it a single Acrobatics check, with at least DC15, since that is the highest check among them (and/or up the DC by 2 or so for each complicated action being performed, so the swing itself is easier if you don't roll out of it, with the obvious implications of not doing so).

Probably the best option is acrobatics then (though in this case, I may well drop the DC to 10 (not like the PCs will know!) as I actually want a few of the Gremlins to actually succeed...!

[Melayl]

Gremlin
Horrid little creatures, Gremlins can appear anywhere to spread mischief and chaos.

Originally extraplanar creatures,Gremlins now infest the world. In fact, some scholars believe that the only reason the little blighters survive the near unilateral hostility of other races is because occasionally, more Gremlins pop out of whatever plane they originated from.

A Gremlin is a two-foot tall, spindly humanoid. They have overly large heads with a wide, grinning mouth full of sharp teeth. They are usually light grey to charcoal in colour, though this may vary by tribe. They are naturally hairless, but quite prone to making wigs from hair – or anything else that’s handy – when aping other creatures. Their eyes are bright, but may be of any vivid colour; most often yellow to red or green to blue. They are surprisingly strong for their size, but any natural dexterity is compensated by their utter lack of focus.

Physiologically, Gremlins are psuedo-mammals, with mostly mammalian features (save for the dentition and lack of hair).

Gremlins are not particularly dangerous in small numbers, but in large ones they amount to a plague. They delight in causing mischief and wickedness wherever they go. Some of these pranks are merely on the mean side, but they often escalate to being violent or murderous. They have a cruel sense of humour and find nothing so funny as another creature – even a fellow Gremlin – suffering. A bored Gremlin is something to be feared, as it will inevitably find something silly, cruel and likely dangerous to do to some other unsuspecting soul. Gremlins are cheerfully evil; they’d delightedly eat babies, given half a chance, for no other reason than the distress it causes the biggers and the funny sounds they make.

Gremlins are actually quite intelligent and very creative; they have a certain knack for mechanical objects, and while inventing itself is not normally a Gremlin strength, they adapt to new technology (like the clockwork in Ciracan) with aptitude. They are experts at taking things apart to see how they work, and they can sometimes even put them back together again afterwards – with some suitably amusing ‘additions’. What stops them being more dangerous is their poor impulse control and utter inability to think things through to a logical conclusion. This invariably leads to the Gremlin doing something so incredibly stupid it kills itself in some ridiculous fashion, to the general mirth of its former comrades.

Fortunately for Gremlins, they breed with shocking speed and female Gremlins become fertile mere hours after birth; given the exceedingly high mortality rate of the species, however, it it not surprising.

Gremlins do not have much of a society of their own, aside from a basic tribal structure lead by one Gremlin who has manage to survive long enough to actually have some experience. So they like to adopt the culture of the ‘biggers’ (i.e. anybody larger than a Gremlin) and naturally gravitate to settled areas, where they make clothes and wigs from scrap and refuse and ape the people above. The trouble is, while Gremlins are very adept at mimicking their adoptive culture, they never really quite ‘get’ it and as a result, their copy tends to be a mockery of the original.

Numerous times in the past, adventurers have discovered Gremlin settlements beneath cities; Nepitar is a favourite as it has large, spacious sewers. There, they have been discovered to have an entire senate, complete with an Emperor.

Gremlins are fascinated by plays and theatre (and the more violent circuses of Validuslum or tornaments of Galause). They find the sight of biggers pretending to be other biggers hilarious, even if the subject matter is serious. Many atimes the rafters of playhouses are filled with giggling Gremlins, who occasionally throw things and make their own running commentary in their peculiar little language.

Gremlins are far too chaotic for their crafting skills to be put to any constructive use. On occasions, evil wizards have tried to make use of their services, as they have to be watched like a hawk or else they become bored or find something more fun (i.e.destructive) to do.

Gremlins speak their own tongue, Gremil, and if they can speak additional lagunages, the first is usually the language of their locale (most often Linundin or Kulobrak).

COMBAT
Gremlins fight in a disorganised fashion. Though they will sometimes try to use tactics they'd seen other biggers do, or when directed to by a slightly more senior Gremlin, these tend to be more attempts than successes. They will climb onto things, leap off them, try and swarm larger opponents; whatever seems most ‘fun’ at the time.

Gremlins love fire; the cannot see in the dark, so this behoves them to use torches, with all the inherent disasters this entails.

Given their penchant for crafting, Gremlins are usually well equipped with weapons and occasionally armour (when they remember; armour is not as ‘fun’ as weapons). They have been know to show up to attack villages complete with siege weapons. Catapults are a particular favourite of theirs, designed to throw rocks, Validus fire and frequently, other Gremlins...

Gremlin
Typical Gremlin (Gremlin)
Tiny Outsider (Chaotic, Evil, Native)
HD ½D8-1 (1hp) Init +2 SPD 30’ SPACE 2½/5*
AC 14/14/12 (+2 Size, +2 Dex)
BAB/GRAPPLE +1/-10
ATTACK +5 Shortsword (D3-2, 19-20) or +5 Bite (D4-2) or +5 Sling (D2-2)
+5 Shortsword (D3-2, 19-20), +0 Bite (D4-2)
SQ Chaotic Stupid, Low-Light Vision, Trapfinding
SV (+0) Fort +1 Ref +3 Will -1
Str 7 Dex 15 Con 9 Int 12 Wis 4 Cha 12 AL Always CE
Bluff +5, Craft (Trapmaking) +9, Craft (Weaponsmithing) +9, Disable Device +9, Stealth +14, Open Lock +6 (+8 with tools), Search +5, Use Rope +6, Use Magic Device +5
Swarmfighting, Weapon FinesseB
Skills: + 2 racial bonus to all Craft skills, Disable Device and Open Lock
CR ¼ (1 HD, 1/3) The CR of a Gremlin with NPC classes is equal to class level -1.
* Gremlins are right on the border of Small and Tiny creatures, and so are just big enough and just agile enough to count as having a non-zero (i.e. 5’) reach; otherwise they are normal Tiny creatures.
Advancement: 1 HD or by character class
Environment Any land; (Outsider, any); either
Organisation: Tribe (12-120)

Chaotic Stupid (Ex): If a Gremlin attempts an ability or skill check and fails by five or more points, it must make a DC 10 Wisdom check or do something so fundementally stupid it deals itself D6 damage. This applies only to checks it initiates itself (i.e not to those made in reaction to another creature’s actions.)

It also deals this damage to itself any time it rolls on natural 1 on any attack roll, ability check or skill check. (This stacks with the damage if it also fails a check by 5 or more points.)

Gremlin characters: The stats above are for a typical Gremlin of stats 9,13,11,10,8,10. Gremlins show a wide diversity of professions of all sorts (save Paladins); thus Gremlins of all classes are possible. Most often, though, they are fighters or rogues. Divine spellcasters are usually rare; partly because Gremlins are inherently unable to understand what servitude to a greater being is, and partly because they just are not suited to a role that requires some introspection or wisdom.

Gremlins are almost always Chaotic Evil, with the few exceptions who are Neutral or Lawful Evil. Nonevil Gremlins do not exist.



Oh my. I quite like them!:smallamused: Thanks for posting them.

[Andorax]

Hmm...I remember something from original D&D (back before/during AD&D) called a Gremlin that behaved rather similarly, but had one extra ability that made them genuinely threatening. Might make for an interesting ability, if not for all of them then perhaps for a rare individual, similar to how only a few satyrs have pipes.

Rather than translate it to 3.X, I'll post it in its native format and let you do with it what you will. They've been reproduced elsewhere, but my first memory of them is from module X2 (Castle Amber):

"As soon as the party opens the door the gremlins will attack by radiating their chaotic area of effect in a 20' radius. Anyone who does not save vs. Spells each round will find that everything is going wrong. This chaotic aura can cause mechanical devices to not work, belt buckles to pop open, or axe heads to fall off, all at the whim of the gremlins. Any attacks on a gremlin that miss may hit the attacker; the DM should roll for hitting. Any spells cast at the gremlins will affect the caster, if a save vs. Spells is failed. Gremlin magic is more playful than deadly."

[Aotrs Commander]

Hmm...I remember something from original D&D (back before/during AD&D) called a Gremlin that behaved rather similarly, but had one extra ability that made them genuinely threatening. Might make for an interesting ability, if not for all of them then perhaps for a rare individual, similar to how only a few satyrs have pipes.

Rather than translate it to 3.X, I'll post it in its native format and let you do with it what you will. They've been reproduced elsewhere, but my first memory of them is from module X2 (Castle Amber):

"As soon as the party opens the door the gremlins will attack by radiating their chaotic area of effect in a 20' radius. Anyone who does not save vs. Spells each round will find that everything is going wrong. This chaotic aura can cause mechanical devices to not work, belt buckles to pop open, or axe heads to fall off, all at the whim of the gremlins. Any attacks on a gremlin that miss may hit the attacker; the DM should roll for hitting. Any spells cast at the gremlins will affect the caster, if a save vs. Spells is failed. Gremlin magic is more playful than deadly."

Interesting, but not really where I want my Gremlins to go (they are decidedly malevolent). They don't really need to be inherently magical (though they can and will have spellcasters/psions or adepts as needed).
(They're designed for bottom-end adventures because neither Kobolds nor Goblins on the world are as in standard D&D, being a bit tougher (and significantly, not having low weapon damage due to poor Strength), so Gremlins are filling that partical gap.)

Thanks for the thought anyway, though.

[Titomancer]

I remember a Dragon magazine having precisely the rules for swinging on a chandelier as part of charge. Sadly, I can't remember which Dragon magazine it was. I want to say some time in....I don't recall, between 2002 and 2006? I know that's not much of a help, but it DOES exist. Check Dragon. I think they also had rules in that issue (something that might help find an issue number) for smaller creatures riding larger creature (IE Goblins riding Ogres).

Edit: Cinematic Combat might've been part of the title? Slightly more than unhelpful, but still weak, I know.