Skuz energy drain? A question for the editors...

I remember these bad boys from 2e (the second FR monstrous compendium with the hole-punched sheets if I'm not mistaken) and what I recall the strongest about them was the punishing amount of damage they could do per blow (2d6??) which has been downgraded (perhaps justifiably so) as well as their hideous energy drain (2 levels per blow, with two blows per round...again, if I'm not mistaken...my memory isn't what it used to be).

I was disappointed to not see this anywhere in the monster's description....until I saw reference to their ability to create new Skuz from the remains of those they had energy drained.

The problem is that this ability doesn't seem to be anywhere else in the monster's description. Was it cut for space, and if so, how many negative levels does the Skuz bestow per blow in 3.5e?

Cheers,
Colin

I saw this too and signed on to create this exact thread! :P

I think giving the skuz a vampire's energy drain is good. Negative levels on both slams might be a bit too much... ?

Yeah, I noticed that too when reading it and was like "What energy drain attack?"

So Dragon dudes...any chance you could errata the Skuz for us here?

Thanks :D

I'll fourth that. My players are heading into the sewers of Waterdeep tomorrow night and this creature is just perfect - but I have about 20 hours to get an answer to this question! :)

My players are just beginning the Champion's Games and I think I'm going to place a few skuz in the sewer with the jellies. Their abilities should be rather useful there...

While awaiting a response from the powers that be, I thought I'd correct one of my previous recollections (I looked it up at home last night :).

It turns out that while they did strike twice a round for 2d6 per blow, they only drained one level (in the old terminology) per successful strike, giving them only two possible level drains per round rather than four as I had remembered. Which is, of course, still pretty hideous :) :) :)

Cheers,
Colin

sounds like a simple mistake in editing.

in the meantime, have fun with this bad boy: http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/view_c.php?CreatureID=759

Thanks, BOZ, for this - it'll get me through my game tonight.

And, might I say, you're quite the handsome fellow! :)

I haven't received my copy of 352 yet, but from what I can tell, the relevant text was indeed omitted in editing. The original text from the submitted manuscript is as follows:

Energy drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a skuz’s slam attack gain one negative level. The DC is 19 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Pretty standard stuff, I'd say.

Let me know how many characters survive. ;)

*snip*

Thanks so much, eh! I figured that would be the case, but it never hurts to ask (not that I wouldn't have just stuck it in myself in any event, but I did want to know what the official word would be....and the author's word is about as official as it gets :)

Cheers, and thanks once again for the clarification.
Colin

I just used the monster last night, and noticed the energy drain was missing in the description...was wondering why it was a pretty weak CR9 monster. I'll have to add the real version into next session.