Minecraft Creeper for Old-School D&D and the Fifth Edition Playtest

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I have made a Minecraft creeper for the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition playtest rules, as well as for the BECMI rules and clones such as Labyrinth Lord. I have improved a bit on the presentation format for the ladder.

Old-School D&D ...

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Creeper
Hit Dice: 2+3
No. Enc.: 1d4
XP: 20

Movement: 120' (40')
Attacks: See text.
Damage: See text.

AC: 7 (tough, bark-like flesh.)
Average HP: 12.
Save: Fighter 1.
Morale: Unflinching.

Creepers are plant-like creatures covered in flammable moss and fungus. They are stealthy, dangerous, and aggressive to the point of being suicidal.

These strange abominations grow in caves and other dark places. They will use their infra-vision and unparalleled stealth abilities to sneak up on their foes before attacking, which succeeds on a d6 roll of 3-6.

Creepers attack by exploding. Before doing so, they spend a turn hissing loudly, giving their unsuspecting victims one round to flee or attack. Afterwards, they explode, dealing damage equal to 3d6 to all creatures within 15'.

If a creeper is killed by fire damage, it explodes. Otherwise, it crumples to the ground without dealing damage to anyone. The corpse can later be exploded by dealing any amount of fire damage to it.

Fifth Edition Playtest ...

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Creeper
Medium Beast (Plant)
Armour Class 13
Hit Points 13 (3d8), vulnerable to fire damage.
Speed 30 feet (6 squares)
Str 8 (-1), Dex 11 (+0), Con 10 (+0), Int 4 (-3), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 12 (+1)
Alignment Neutral

TRAITS
Flammable: If the creeper is killed by fire damage, it can use Explode without spending an action.

Stealthy: The creeper gains a +4 bonus on checks to avoid being noticed.

Explosive Corpse: If a creeper is killed in a way that leaves it intact, the corpse remains highly combustible. It can be exploded by dealing any amount of fire damage to it, emulating the effects of its Explode action.

ACTIONS
Hiss: The creeper gains the ability to use Explode during its next turn.

Explode: Usable only if the creeper used Hiss during its last turn. The creeper explodes dealing 2d12 damage to all creatures within 15 feet (3 squares). This damage can be reduced to 1d12 with a successful DC 11 Dexterity save.

ENCOUNTER BUILDING
Level 3 (XP 150)


Creepers are plant-like creatures covered in flammable moss and fungus. They are stealthy, dangerous, and aggressive to the point of being suicidal.

These strange abominations grow in caves and other dark places. They will use their infra-vision and unparalleled stealth abilities to sneak up on their foes before attacking.

Creepers attack by exploding. Before doing so, they hiss loudly, giving their victims one round to flee or attack.

[Seerow]

The HP seems a little low. Creepers in the game generally take a couple hits even with the best sword. I would expect the D&D creeper to have at least 10-15hp to be able to survive 2-3 hits before dropping.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

The HP seems a little low. Creepers in the game generally take a couple hits even with the best sword. I would expect the D&D creeper to have at least 10-15hp to be able to survive 2-3 hits before dropping.

I see what you mean. I should probably up the XP gained as well.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Right. I gave them more hit dice, and increased their damage.

Is the Fifth Edition one TOO deadly?

[Seerow]

btw the 5e statblock doesn't have a movement speed. Is it supposed to be 40ft like the BECMI statblock?

The speed matters because it determines what kind of monster the creeper is. If it's intended to be a puzzle monster, where if the players know what it does, it's not a threat (run away from the hissing creeper!) then that movement should be dropped to 30ft, so anyone taking a hustle action can get away (explosion hits 45ft from starting point, hustling character gets 50ft away with 25 speed). In this scenario, you can probably afford to boost the explosion damage some (especially if you up the hp and exp value)

If the intent is for the explosion to be nearly impossible to avoid once it's started, then the 40ft movement is fine, and the damage probably doesn't need to change too much.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

btw the 5e statblock doesn't have a movement speed. Is it supposed to be 40ft like the BECMI statblock?

The speed matters because it determines what kind of monster the creeper is. If it's intended to be a puzzle monster, where if the players know what it does, it's not a threat (run away from the hissing creeper!) then that movement should be dropped to 30ft, so anyone taking a hustle action can get away (explosion hits 45ft from starting point, hustling character gets 50ft away with 25 speed). In this scenario, you can probably afford to boost the explosion damage some (especially if you up the hp and exp value)

If the intent is for the explosion to be nearly impossible to avoid once it's started, then the 40ft movement is fine, and the damage probably doesn't need to change too much.

Fixed.

The idea is that once it hisses, the party has one round to heap on as much damage as they can before it explodes in their faces. They could also run, but only if they have room to do so.

I also imagined dead creepers being useful to crafty parties, who could use them to blow down doors or take out tightly packed groups of weak monsters.

[wiimanclassic]

Fixed.

The idea is that once it hisses, the party has one round to heap on as much damage as they can before it explodes in their faces. They could also run, but only if they have room to do so.

I also imagined dead creepers being useful to crafty parties, who could use them to blow down doors or take out tightly packed groups of weak monsters.

Like taking 10 or so of them and putting them next to a wall to blow up or something?

[Seerow]

Fixed.

The idea is that once it hisses, the party has one round to heap on as much damage as they can before it explodes in their faces. They could also run, but only if they have room to do so.

I also imagined dead creepers being useful to crafty parties, who could use them to blow down doors or take out tightly packed groups of weak monsters.

And here my first thought for the "fire explodes creepers after death" was a wizard with a handful of creeper minions, sends the creepers in to die, and after the party easily handles them, he drops a fireball, which gets compounded by multiple explosions.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

And here my first thought for the "fire explodes creepers after death" was a wizard with a handful of creeper minions, sends the creepers in to die, and after the party easily handles them, he drops a fireball, which gets compounded by multiple explosions.

Is this supposed to be a bad thing? I ask because it sounds awesome.

[Seerow]

Is this supposed to be a bad thing?.

Not at all.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I would have also done this for Fourth Edition, but I'm not sure how that would work. Creepers are not minions, since they are too tough and nasty. They also cannot be standard monsters, since standard monsters don't usually have suicide-bombing powers.