Help with updating That Darn Crab

[SiuiS]

Ahoy folks! Long story short, I've got a player doing a solo game, who is not bad but doesn't actually optimize. That's normally fine, but past a certain level it skews my understanding of the challenge rating system because it gets even less useful as a linear guide.

I want to update the Crab to approximately challenge rating 8-10, while keeping it fundamentally similar. I'd like to avoid just ramping up it's hit dice though because the HD/CR ratio is so borked it would end up with a BaB (and ensuing grapple check) of [WayTooHigh]. I'm going for a giant opilion, bred for war and at least large if not huge. The catch? It has to be able to challenge but not mop the floor with a level 12 monk. Yes, you heard me. A level 12 monk.

In a grapple against the most ungodly grappler of them all. Heaven help me.


The monk is a winged phrenic human (LA ignored), but categorically averse to change; turned down Tashalatora and related because "it didn't feel right" which I respect but made things harder to gauge by the numbers.

Any ideas? Neat templates? Peals of laughter?

[Grizzled Gryphon]

Well, one easy trick would be to just give it stats based on your players stats. Sure, its not "legit" or RAW, but who cares? Its your game, change it how you wish. So, if your players grapple bonus is +12, then give the crab a +13. Now, its appropriately challenging, yet won't mop the floor with him.

Another option, of course, is to have the crab win the opposed checks a few times, but let your player make the escape attempt, but only just barely. Roll dice, of course, but don't actually worry about what you roll, just pretend the roll was good enough or not, as the fight goes. Once your player feels like he is on the ropes, giving his last try, that all or nothing moment, THEN the crab finally goes down.

I have found that in the games I run, the best way to run the big boss fights is to not actually give the boss hit points or anything, but have the players duke it out with them, and then when the casters are all but out of spells, the melee fighters are in the low teens or worse on hit points, the fight is getting close, the players are really starting to worry if they can beat this guy/thing or not, only then does the boss finally go down. The players have no idea I do this, but they REALLY love the boss fights. They are always amazed that I can build these really cool bosses that are so closely matched with the party. The most important thing is, they love it, they have a blast, and they talk about those fights for a LONG time afterwards.

[SiuiS]

I actually do that sometimes! My last big fight was built on "AC high enough the fighter needs a 17 to hit" etc., but this isn't for a boss. This is the monstrous tank the evil army rolls out with it's ground troops. It needs to be sufficiently strong that engaging it will involve an "oh four-asterisk it is eating me!" Moment but sufficiently bland that following fights will be about planning and with no hitch once dice roll.

I figure a fifteen foot spider with fifteen foot reach that can snag flyers out of the air with a lung and then clamps them to a pulp while sucking their juices is sufficient to cause a panic the first time. Afterwards, it becomes a matter of dealing with their reach and grip like a speed bump, not life or death fight.


I may have to eyeball it, but I would rather not. We'll see though, and thanks! It's nice to see someone in the 3.5 forum who says "wing it! It's fun!" XD

Y~Y I'm not alone!

[Gwendol]

Well, it's a mindless vermin after all. It has nearly no self-preservation instinct, can't really take orders, so I wonder how it can function in an army? Or do they just drop it in calling out "Fore!"?

[Grizzled Gryphon]

The spider? Or the crab?

If your talking about the spider, they must be trainable, the Drow use all kinds of spiders for a huge variety of things.

If that is the case, then I see no reason a crab couldn't be trained as well.

[FMArthur]

You can bump it up to 9 hit dice from 7 and it will only gain 1 BAB (and +1 to all saves), since that's a bad breakpoint for medium BAB progression. You could instead just improve its Con or give it maximum rolls as ways to increase its HP (or any combination of those three things). Then give it custom-made battle armor that increases its armor class.

There, now it can keep up. It takes very little adjustment. None of the Phrenic abilities help the monk against the monstrous crab and the crab's offenses will still be quite relevant to a level 12 monk without crazy boosts from an NPC caster or anything.

If it gets too dangerous, remember that it's also a natural prisoner-taker. That's literally its only behavior without scavenging according to the monster description. This one probably takes captives and brings them to a kiddy pool they've set up to trick its instincts.

[SiuiS]

Well, it's a mindless vermin after all. It has nearly no self-preservation instinct, can't really take orders, so I wonder how it can function in an army? Or do they just drop it in calling out "Fore!"?

War beast can apply to vermin and makes them controllable, so who knows?

The idea is to build off an existing mechanical chassis and reskin. I can always fix the "mindless" part with the right application if need be.

*

The idea that a small bump to HP will make it sufficient for a 12th level PC (even one this bad) makes me pause, though. I'll have to play by ear after all, I guess?

[Gwendol]

Run a few numbers yourself to get it right. It's powerful claws ability makes the grapple painful indeed, and I guess the crab can in principle still initiate a grapple the old fashioned way (going for a touch attack, risking an AoO) if it wants to.

I don't see how it can be that much of a threat for a 12th level monk though, unless he's already used abundant step previously. The monk can easily kite the crab and whittle away at its HP using a sling or shuriken.