Oooooh Shiny... [MitP II] (This time WITH a poll)

[Icewalker]

Lure Eel
Large Magical Beast
HD 10d10 + 40 (95)
Speed 40 ft.
Init: +15
AC 19 (-1 size, +5 dex, +5 natural); touch 14; flat-footed 14
BAB +10/+5; Grp +14
Attack Bite +15 (2d6+4)
Full-Attack 2 Bites +15/+10 (2d6+4)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Sneak Attack +7d6
Special Qualities Lure! Dark skin
Saves Fort +11 Ref +12 Will +2
Abilities Str 18, Dex 20, Con 18, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 6
Skills Spot +2 (3R, -1wis), Listen +2 (3R, -1wis), Hide +17 (7R, +5dex, +3SF, +2circ)
Feats Skill Focus (hide), Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Bite)
Environment Caves
Organization Solitary, Mating pair (nest of 2d6 magic items), Nest (2 adult, 2d8 2-HD young, with magic items)
CR 12
Treasure Single Magic Item, off Lure
Alignment Always Chaotic Neutral
Advancement (11-15 HD large, 16-19 HD huge, 20-25 Gargantuan)

Lure Eels are famous for their lures. Lure Eels have a long tendril hanging off of the front of their head, with a random magic item on the end. Passing adventurers, drawn in by the thought of a magic item, are then quickly devoured by the Eel’s sneak attack. The Lure eel coils up in the back of a cave. They dangle their long tendril out to the mouth of the cave, then spring forward and eat unwary adventurers.
Before the Lure Eels mating season, which is in the late spring, they are especially vicious. They kill any adventurers they can, then collect the items from them and make a nest of these items in the back of their cave. Then, when mating season comes, the female Lure Eels leave their caves to find a mate. The male eels show off their piles of treasure, particularly their magic items, to try to entice the female eel into their cave. Often eels with similar lures will be attracted to one another. When children are born they have a gooey tendril stretching from their head. In the very young stages, Lure Eels have a detect magic ability, and they dig through the nest and connect their tendril to a magic item. After one year, shortly before mating season, the young Lure Eel are pushed out of the nest by the father and sent to find caves and hiding places of their own.


Lure! Lure Eels have a random magic item attached to the end of a tendril coming off their foreheads. Roll 1d3 for a minor, medium, or major magic item. Then roll on the table as normal to determine the item. Reroll potions, rings, and scrolls, as well as any particularly small or massive magic items (DM’s discretion): Lure Eels always have a distinguishable lure such as a rod, staff, or weapon.

Sneak Attack +7d6: as the rogue ability.

Dark skin: The Lure Eel's dark skin gives it a +2 circumstance bonus to hide checks when in a dark place.

[Matthew]

Very amusing, but this seems kind of comedic for general D&D. I'm not going to cast a vote, because I can't say for sure this shouldn't be in, but it seems more appropriate for Hack Master to me... by the way, how do you determine the Magic Item and how do prospective victims recognise it?

[Zeta Kai]

I like it. If anything, I think more creature should have a semi-comedic bent. Besides, the only other critter I can think of that is specifically designed for adventurers is the rust monster, & this thing isn't nearly as cruel.

[Icewalker]

by the way, how do you determine the Magic Item and how do prospective victims recognise it?

It says above in the description of the Lure ability,

Roll 1d3 for a minor, medium, or major magic item. Then roll on the table as normal to determine the item. Reroll potions, rings, and scrolls, as well as any particularly small or massive magic items (DM’s discretion): Lure Eels always have a distinguishable lure such as a rod, staff, or weapon.

Prospective victims recognise in whatever normal way an adventurer would recognize a magic item. The Lure Eel lays their lure at the entrance to the cave they are coiled in, when adventurers approach, they leap out and eat em. And it is an actual magic item, so detect magic and idenitfy will register as an actual item.

[Matthew]

Whoops, missed that bit. So, how do they acquire these items? Are they spontaneously generated?

[Icewalker]

um....a wizard did it?

I'd say they are born with em, and I don't really want to go into the mating rituals of the Lure Eel.

[Tack122]

They kill adventurers for loot then when its mating season they build a nest made of the magic items. Then once the nest is built the males lure the females to the nest with a particularly rare and expensive magical item and present the nest.

(Based off birds in real world- Multiple variations of this exist. shells. rocks. sticks, their own feathers. Not a bird but dung...)

[Icewalker]

Hehehe I like it. Lets go with that, I'll add it now, in detail. Thank you for the addition.

[Khoran]

Whoops, missed that bit. So, how do they acquire these items? Are they spontaneously generated?

I'm sure more then one adventurer's carrer ended in a watery grave.

A question, would a Lure Eel who has gotten larger from HD advancement, would they gain more lures on their body as they grew and possibly carry more magic items, or would it still only be the one magic item?

Also, you mention in the flavor text that at a young age they can detect magic items. Does this ability go away after aging, or do they keep it as a spell like ability, should they ever somehow lose their magic item without dieing. Just mildly currious about it.

[Icewalker]

No, it dissipates as they age, it's just so they make sure they are attached to a magic item. A Lure Eel who loses it's item without dying is effectively a crippled beast. It has a hard time luring adventurers into it's cave. Although if it has any spares in it's nest it can just take one and lay it at the front. It'd also have a particularly hard time mating.

[Mewtarthio]

They kill adventurers for loot then when its mating season they build a nest made of the magic items. Then once the nest is built the males lure the females to the nest with a particularly rare and expensive magical item and present the nest.

(Based off birds in real world- Multiple variations of this exist. shells. rocks. sticks, their own feathers. Not a bird but dung...)

...

That is all.

Pity monsters don't get XP...

[XtheYeti]

Rock on as always icewalker, its a pretty cool creation