Homebrew Animal D&D3.5: Skunk [PEACH]

[Agi Hammerthief]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk

{table=head]Skunk|Tiny Animal
Hit Dice|1/2 d8 (2 hp)
Initiative| +2
Speed|20 ft. (4 squares), burrow 1 ft.
Armor Class|14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple| +0/-12
Attack|Bite +4 melee (1d3-4)
Full Attack|Bite +4 melee (1d3-4)
Space/Reach|2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks| Musk Attack +4 ranged (special - see text)
Special Qualities|Low-light vision, scent
Saves|Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities|Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 5
Skills|Balance +10, Hide +11, Move Silently +8, Spot +3
Feats|Weapon Finesse
Environment|Temperate hills
Organization|Solitary
Challenge Rating|1/3
Advancement|-
Level Adjustment|-[/table]
used the statistics for a weasel,
replaced Attach with Musk Attack,
swapped climb speed 20' with burrow 1',
increased Challenge Rating to 1/3 (for the musk attack)

Musk Attack

• Ranged Touch Attack
• Range Increment: 10' (max 30')
• Usable 6 times every 10 Days
  
• Effect: 5' square sickening cloud, centered on the target, treat a miss as a grenade like weapon
  
• Duration: 2 rounds for a hit creature, 1 round for creatures occupying an effected 5' square
  creatures in the effected square sickened, DC 15 Fort negates
  
• Critical (20): target is Blinded(1 round), dazzled(2 rounds) and sickened(3 rounds), Reflex negates to dazzled(1 round) and sickened(2 rounds), DC = crit confirm roll **
  
• all creatures with a smell sense can scent the target for 5 days or until the musk has been washed off, even if they don't have the Scent special quality.
  
• creatures without a sense of smell are immune to the Musk Attack, so are creatures immune to critical hits.
  
• Creatures effected by a Musk Attack must overcome a Will Save DC20 (+5 for a crit) to want to attack a skunk again***.
  Creatures witnessing the effects of a hit must must overcome a Will Save DC15(+5 for a crit) to want to attack a skunk (unless they are imune).

when chosen as Familiar:
bonus to master: Intimidate +3 ****


** crit = hit square in the face, reflex lets the target blink in time.
*** while within max range of the Musk Attack.
**** because intimidate is what skunks do


is this too powerful as a familiar?
if it is:
Musk attack is only usable if the familiar or master are in real trouble:
the Familiar must be directly attacked, or it's Master is threatened and down to 0 HP or less

[DracoDei]

I have done fairly extensive research on skunks, for one thing you have them "reloading" much to slowly... see my Mepholk for the rules I came up with for spray (the penalties are less for a normal sized skunk, but they probably have a racial bonus to the DC).

[Agi Hammerthief]

I have done fairly extensive research on skunks, for one thing you have them "reloading" much to slowly... see my Mepholk for the rules I came up with for spray (the penalties are less for a normal sized skunk, but they probably have a racial bonus to the DC).

I've taken the numbers from wikipedia

Skunks are reluctant to use their smelly weapon, as they carry just enough of the chemical for five or six uses—about 15 cc—and require some ten days to produce another supply.

I've put the range increment to 5' so that the max range would be 25' (as thrown weapon)

spray with a high degree of accuracy, as far as 2 to 5 meters (7 to 15 ft).

a range increment of 10' would put the 15' of RL within the penalty free zone, but up the max range to 50'
Ideal would be a range increment of 7,5' but it's off the standard 5'increment map.
edit: used 10' with a given max from your Mepholk now.


What is your thought as the use as a farmiliar? does it need the nerf "defense" only? (or does it need this to conform with RL anyways)

[DracoDei]

Actually the extended range is another thing I increased between Mepholk and regular skunks.
10' works equally well I guess... but maybe only 3 range increments max range?
The major thing I was saying you had got wrong was the "reload" time. (and the severity and duration of the effects short-term effects).
As for familiars, wild skunks may be reluctant to spray... skunks with intelligence scores who are aware that one casting of Prestidigitation will clean them up, and the tactical and/or ethical advantages of prisoners over corpses? Not so much.
If one can get a viper for a familiar... I guess a skunk is still better in most cases. Either make it require the Improved Familiar feat, drop the intimidate bonus, and/or just accept the fact that it will be a superior option in many ways? (although maybe not enough to make a familiar a wise class feature for most people to choose... but see my Artillery Mage for a way of negating that, although a skunk would be a POOR choice for an Artillery Mage).

[Agi Hammerthief]

The major thing I was saying you had got wrong was the "reload" time.

repeating this is not helpful without giving an alternative source to the one I cited.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk

and the severity and duration of the effects short-term effects.
...
Actually the extended range is another thing I increased between Mepholk and regular skunks.

so, instad of linking me to the "heavily altered from RL skunks Mepholk" could you just drop the numbers for RL skunks here in this thread, please?

As for familiars, wild skunks may be reluctant to spray... skunks with intelligence scores who are aware that one casting of Prestidigitation will clean them up

the wiki article has the recharge time as the reason for the reluctance to spray.

[sigurd]

I like it.

I'd use it. Why don't you post it on the PSRD?


Sigurd

[Jane_Smith]

..... Goliath Druid, Point Blank Shot, Far Shot, Throw Anything, Throw Ally, with Dire Skunk animal companion with special-made enchanted spiked fullplate barding and a greater magic fang tossed in just for the luls.

I approve of this homebrew.

[DracoDei]

repeating this is not helpful without giving an alternative source to the one I cited.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk

You talked about a bunch of stuff, none of which was reload time. I thought you had missed the point.

Let me dig up my write up of basic skunks... don't have my raw research notes anymore unfortunately.

Poke me in a week if I haven't gotten back to you with the baseline write-up by then.