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GimliFett
2007-08-01, 02:35 PM
I was wondering if anyone could point me to any Monster Manual (any of them, I-V) creatures with prehensile tails? I mean usable prehensile tails. For wielding weapons and carrying items. Basically a third hand, if a touch weaker.

Gracias. :)

brian c
2007-08-01, 03:05 PM
I'm not sure if there are any published ones, but there's a Prehensile Tail feat in the MM that you could give to any creature with a tail. Just use that instead of the Alertness feat that so many monsters have by default. Are you the DM or a player, or are you just curious?

GimliFett
2007-08-01, 03:11 PM
I'm a little of Column A, a little of Column B. Actually a lot Column A...
<le sigh>

I'm working on a skaven-nezumi(ratling) blend for my Eberron campaign. They were the actual worker class of the Giant Empire, below the elves (as such they don't much care for elves these days, in general; especially as they're in dispute over who controls what areas of Xen'drik). These guys don't have the sinister reputation of the skaven, but they are pragmatic survivalists living in/under one of the strangest/harshest areas of Eberron. As such, they've scuttled much of the Giant's magic into artificer-related yumminess, making the ratlings natural artificers (a blend of their extreme curiosity and need to even the scales with the elven magic).

Monster Manual, you say? I'll have to double check that. I don't remember it...

lukelightning
2007-08-01, 03:13 PM
Monkeys. At least some species (notably spider monkeys).

Snakes, though they pretty much have a prehensile body.

How about werepossums?

Jasdoif
2007-08-01, 03:14 PM
I'm not sure if there are any published ones, but there's a Prehensile Tail feat in the MM that you could give to any creature with a tail.I'm not aware of such a feat. Might you be thinking of the Prehensile Tail mutation in D20 Modern's SRD?

GimliFett
2007-08-01, 03:15 PM
I should clarify: I need mechanics for prehensile tails. :)

Thanks.

Jasdoif
2007-08-01, 03:19 PM
I should clarify: I need mechanics for prehensile tails. :)I can certainly quote the mutation description for you, but I don't think it's quite what you're looking for.



PREHENSILE TAIL [MAJOR]
You grow a tail that can grasp and hold objects.
MP Cost: 4.
Benefits: A prehensile tail grants a +2 mutation bonus on Balance checks. It can also grasp and manipulate a simple object up to one size category smaller than the creature’s size category. A prehensile tail cannot be used to operate a piece of equipment that requires opposable digits or fine motor control (such as a cell phone).
A creature can “hang” from its prehensile tail indefinitely by wrapping it around a larger object, thereby freeing up its other limbs. The prehensile tail isn’t dexterous or strong enough to fire ranged weapons or make melee attacks, however.
Special: A creature that already has a tail cannot gain this mutation.

GimliFett
2007-08-01, 03:22 PM
Thanks, Jasdoif. That'll give me a baseline from which to start. I may have to make it a couple of feats: Prehensile Tail and Improved Prehensile Tail. If I can't actually find a beastie that already has such an ability. Gracias.

nerulean
2007-08-01, 03:25 PM
I'm not sure if there are any published ones, but there's a Prehensile Tail feat in the MM that you could give to any creature with a tail.

According to this most helpful website (http://timjoh.com/dnd/) it's in Savage Species and Serpent Kingdoms.

Quietus
2007-08-01, 03:29 PM
There's a Prehensile Tail feat in D&D, you can find it in Savage Species or Serpent Kingdoms. Kind of annoying, however, because you need to have a tail attack to start with - although, don't nezumi have those tail spikes?

::Edit:: Blast, ninja'ed while I looked up the feat itself ..

GimliFett
2007-08-01, 03:40 PM
Thanks guys. I'll have to compile the info and see what I can get out of it.

Quietus: Yeah, IIRC, they could attach 'em to their tails to make attacks, but otherwise could do nothing with their tails.

Quietus
2007-08-01, 03:44 PM
Thanks guys. I'll have to compile the info and see what I can get out of it.

Quietus: Yeah, IIRC, they could attach 'em to their tails to make attacks, but otherwise could do nothing with their tails.

If it can be used as an additional attack in a full attack routine, as a DM, I'd allow it to count for Prehensile Tail. It's still a tail attack, after all. It's not like having that third hand is really going to be a game-breaking thing, it's just an awesome little bonus.

Bassetking
2007-08-01, 03:56 PM
If it can be used as an additional attack in a full attack routine, as a DM, I'd allow it to count for Prehensile Tail. It's still a tail attack, after all. It's not like having that third hand is really going to be a game-breaking thing, it's just an awesome little bonus.

Quietus... They're Artificers.

A third hand allows them a third wand-use during a full-attack action.

GimliFett
2007-08-01, 03:57 PM
Agreed. :) Since it can be used to make an attack (with proper accoutrement), then it should count for the purposes of meeting feat requirements. However, you do/would/might(?) need Exotic Weapon Proficiency (tail spikes) to use it well enough to matter/at all(?). Since EWP (tail spikes) gives an additional attack during a full-round action at highest BAB, penalizing all attacks in the round at -2, maybe expanding on that with Prehensile Tail, ignoring the Two-Weapon Fighting or Multiweapon Fighting feat requirements. Hmm...

Much thinking to do.
Gracias, y'all.

EDIT: As BassetKing says, there may need to be a limiter on the prehensile tail along the lines of activating magic items. Course if they already have Double Wand Use, then letting them have it at the cost of an additional charge on each wand... Ugh... Now I've gotta go do some math, too! ;)

Bassetking
2007-08-01, 04:07 PM
I'd flat out say "No wands with the tails." A three handed creature making a full attack action with all three limbs, using three wands of Enervation and spends the charges to maximize and split the spells can drain 24 levels in a single round.

That's just off the top of my head. I'm fairly certain I could break it further if I tried.

EDIT: Either "No wands with tails" or make the race an EL +1

GimliFett
2007-08-01, 04:18 PM
I'd flat out say "No wands with the tails." A three handed creature making a full attack action with all three limbs, using three wands of Enervation and spends the charges to maximize and split the spells can drain 24 levels in a single round.

That's just off the top of my head. I'm fairly certain I could break it further if I tried.

EDIT: Either "No wands with tails" or make the race an EL +1

Ooo. That's nasty!
I was kidding about using the wand with the tail. :) I really don't want these guys being an LA+1. I'd have to limit them to weapon-only attacks with their tails, though manipulation of things non-magical would be acceptable.

brian c
2007-08-01, 04:32 PM
There's a Prehensile Tail feat in D&D, you can find it in Savage Species or Serpent Kingdoms. Kind of annoying, however, because you need to have a tail attack to start with - although, don't nezumi have those tail spikes?

::Edit:: Blast, ninja'ed while I looked up the feat itself ..

Whoops, yeah, I was thinking of Savage Species. I think it's balanced though, even if it is from that book.

AtomicKitKat
2007-08-04, 06:05 AM
Outside of MM, and within the same "grey-zone" as Savage Species, Ahuitzotl(I think that's the name, or it's Ab-something, near the front of the book) from Fiend Folio have an actual tail-hand.

Edit: It's the Ahuizotl. However, they really only use it as part of their grappling, rather than wielding weapons with it.

Koji
2007-08-04, 06:42 AM
Races of the Dragon lets you give any draconic or dragon-blooded creature a tail attack, which then qualifies them for prehensile tail. Or if you're the DM you can just use it like a third arm that allows you to make a secondary attack (like a ghoul's claw).

Feralgeist
2007-08-04, 10:15 AM
Look in Fiend Folio or BoVD for fiendish grafts,mechanics for prehensile tails are in one of them. i think it's BoVD....near the machine that bestows fiendish properties.

PinkysBrain
2007-08-04, 10:20 AM
A third hand allows them a third wand-use during a full-attack action.
There is no multi wand wielding feat, so no.

AtomicKitKat
2007-08-04, 10:29 AM
There is no multi wand wielding feat, so no.

I suppose one could make a case for Dual Wand Wielder setting a precedent, so maybe each additional wand you use takes up one more charge.

horseboy
2007-08-04, 11:35 AM
To get around the three wand thing, make a list of weapons from their culture that are designed to be held by the tail (like those spikes). Those are the ones allowed to be used with the tail feat. If they start asking about why they can't tell them you'll allow it when they as the player can reliably shoot a bow with their feet. :smallbiggrin: Amusement factor of them pulling it off will be worth it.

Fax Celestis
2007-08-04, 11:43 AM
If they start asking about why they can't tell them you'll allow it when they as the player can reliably shoot a bow with their feet.

You mean like this?

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/raptoran_w_footbow.jpg

horseboy
2007-08-04, 12:13 PM
You mean like this?

:smallsmile: Pretty much. I'd almost pay money to see my friends do something that goofy.

AtomicKitKat
2007-08-04, 06:30 PM
You know, some contortionist/gymnast type people do that whole "stand on your hands, pull the string back with one foot while the other steadies the bow" trick.

Feralgeist
2007-08-04, 10:23 PM
if you wanna wield more wands, screw 3, why not 6?

just use that rod that lets you put 3 wands into it, and uses them all at once. cant remember where its from.