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LOTRfan
2013-03-10, 09:45 PM
Alp-luachra
Diminutive Magical Beast (Aquatic, Spirit)
Hit Dice: 1/2d10 (2 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares), Swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (+4 size, +3 Dex, +1 natural), touch 17, flatfooted 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-15
Attack: Spine +8 ranged (1 plus daze)
Full Attack: Spine +8 ranged (1 plus daze)
Special Attacks: Spikes, Flesh-Burrow
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Immunity to Acid, Amphibious
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 6, Wis 15, Cha 13
Skills: Hide +22, Move Silently +10, Spot +6, Swim +8*
Feats: Stealthy, Weapon Finesse(B)
Environment: Temperate Forests
Organization: Solitary, or with host
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Often Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 1-2 HD (Diminutive)
Level Adjustment: -----

In the darkness, a small newt-like creature crawls out from the riverside and skitters towards the campfire. It quickly bites a sleeping dwarf and phases into the man. The Dwarf scratches the area the newt entered a bit, still fast asleep.

Alp-luachras are tiny magical beasts often associated with rivers inhabited by Fey. Alp-luachras closely resemble common newts, though they are a dull purple in color and are covered in small spines. Alp-luachras are very resilient little creatures, but they are not infamous for any sort of combat ability; indeed, a quick stomp would be enough to fell one of them. Instead, their infamy comes from their method of attaining sustenance.

Alp-luachras, also called joint-eaters, are parasitic amphibians that “phase” into other creatures and eat the food that they consume. Alp-luachras usually eat half of whatever the host consumes, leaving just enough so that the host can remain more or less healthy. Some become extremely greedy, however, eventually starving and killing their hosts. One story tells of a man who outsmarted an alp-luachra by eating only salty foods and refusing to drink water. Becoming extremely thirsty, the alp-luachra fled from the man’s stomach and returned to the river from whence it came.

Combat
Alp-luachras avoid combat at all costs. Most wait until their desired targets are asleep, at which point they stealthily burrow into their bodies and take up residence in their stomach.

Amphibious: Alp-luachras breath both air and water, though they rarely go far from the rivers they call home without first entering a host.

Flesh-Burrow (Su): By succeeding on an unarmed touch attack, an alp-luachra can enter a host’s body using a method similar to phasing. The joint-eater “slips” into the target, making it’s way into the host’s stomach. Once there, an alp-luachra remains for months or even years if nothing is done to remove it. A host of an alp-luachra may not even notice that the creature is within him, but he soon has a desire to eat and drink twice the amount necessary to sustain an average member of his race. Those who do not fulfill this compulsion each day awaken fatigued the following morning. A joint-eater can take this “punishment” for not eating a step further if it chooses, forcing the creature to eat double the amount of food necessary to survive or undergo the effects of starvation. A remove disease or cure poison spell forces an alp-luachra to make a Will save (DC equal to 10 + the caster level of the spell), or be forced out of the creature. This ability can only be used against non-Fey between Small and Large size that have a metabolism. If the host is killed while the alp-luachra remains inside, the creature must make a DC 15 Fortitude save, or die as well. A surviving alp-luachra flees from dead hosts as soon as it can.

Spikes (Ex): A joint-eater’s backside is covered in small spikes. Those who attack an alp-luachra unarmed suffer one point of damage. Additionally, once every 1d3 rounds, an alp-luachra can sling a single spike at an enemy within 15 ft as a ranged natural weapon. Anyone taking damage from the attack must make a Will save (DC 11), or be dazed (as the spell) for one round. Save DC is Charisma-based.

Skills: An alp-luachra has a +8 bonus on any Swim checks to perform special actions or avoid hazards. It can always take 10 on a Swim check, even when distracted or endangered. Ut can use the run action when swimming, assuming it is done in a straight line. A joint-eater uses Dexterity rather than Strength for Swim checks.

Alp-Luachras as Familiars
An Alp-luachra can be selected as a familiar by those who take the Improved Familiar feat. Spellcasters that have Alp-luachras as familiars gain a +1 bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks involving fey.

Frathe
2013-03-11, 01:52 AM
HP should be 2 = (5.5) * 1/2 rounded down. (5.5 = the averge of a d10).

LOTRfan
2013-03-11, 04:52 AM
Oh, my mistake. Thank you.

Debihuman
2013-03-11, 06:00 AM
I'm curious why this doesn't have the Aquatic subtype and a Swim speed since it has the Amphibious Special Ability. Also, the Spriit subtye is only useful if you are using Oriental Adventures.

Debby

LOTRfan
2013-03-11, 05:25 PM
Oh... that is a big oversight on my part. It should have a swim speed (20 ft.) and the aquatic subtype. I'll add that in right now, thanks. As for the Spirit subtype, anyone not using it in their campaign can simply remove it.

Amechra
2013-03-11, 05:56 PM
Finally, a Familiar that I can keep safe from harm!

What happens if you don't need to eat?

LOTRfan
2013-03-11, 06:03 PM
One of the necessary requirements for the ability is that you need a host with a metabolism/digestive tract.

I was considering making rules about how damaging the host would also damage the creature, but then I figured "Eh, it's so small you'd have to be purposely trying to kill it to be doing any damage anyway."

I should probably add that killing the host also kills the joint-eater, though.

Debihuman
2013-03-12, 07:00 PM
considering that this has 16 skill ranks (6 -2 x4), it doesn't look like you assigned them properly, The maximum rank a creature can have in a skill is its HD +3

Hide +1 ranks + 4 Dex + 12 Diminutive + 2 Stealthy Feat = 19

Move Silently + 1 ranks + 4 dex +2 steathyy = +7

Swim +4 ranks -4 Str = + 0

You do not include the racial swim bonus in the state block since it only applies in certain circumstances. That is why there is a skills section for creatures with s Swim speed that reads "A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its indicated speed without making Swim checks. It gains a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. The creature always can choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line."

That still leaves 10 skill ranks to play with.

Debby

LOTRfan
2013-03-14, 04:23 PM
I... I am not sure how I messed up the skill ranks so badly. :smallconfused:

Are you sure about the swim check thing, though? I'm away from my books, but I could have sworn that creatures with a swim speed include that +8 racial bonus in the statblock. Also, alp-luachras (like Muckdwellers) use Dexterity rather than Strength for their swim checks.

Debihuman
2013-03-14, 09:29 PM
Are you sure about the swim check thing, though? I'm away from my books, but I could have sworn that creatures with a swim speed include that +8 racial bonus in the statblock. Also, alp-luachras (like Muckdwellers) use Dexterity rather than Strength for their swim checks.

If you are away from your books you could still look it up online. See http://www.d20srd.org specifically see here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/swim.htm

"A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its indicated speed without making Swim checks. It gains a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. The creature always can choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line."

The racial bonus only applies to performing special actiion or to avoid a hazard. Emphasis mine.


Debby

LOTRfan
2013-03-14, 10:20 PM
Alright, thank you. I'll make the adjustments in one moment. :smallsmile: