So, I'm DM-ing a game in a play-by-post forum, and the party is in Jzadirune facing off against the pair of ragamoffyns. This a tense battle so far, and it could go either way. I want to make sure I'm handling it right. Thus, I have some questions for the rules gurus.
1. If a Ragamoffyn hits with a slam attack, can it grapple then on the same turn as a free action? Does it have to make a touch attack? Does it have to make an opposed grapple check to hold the opponent? Does it deal any additional damage with a grapple (above and beyond the initial slam damage?
2. Assuming it does grapple successfully, it can then Wrap its victim on the next round right? Is this move automatically successful? Is an opposed grapple check required? Assuming it is successful, can the victim do anything on his turn to escape being wrapped? (with an opposed grapple check or an Escape Artist check for example?)
3. If a victim gets dominated by the ragamoffyn, is there only one will save allowed, or can the character keep trying on successive turns? Can another PC try to pull the victim free from the ragamoffyn?
4. How does the asphyxiation ability fit into all this? When is this damage taken? Is it mandatory for the ragamoffyn to deal this damage (after all, its main goal is to capture a host, right? Not kill its victim...)
I'd appreciate any help and advice, this is all threatening to make my head 'splode. Thanks!
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So, I'm DM-ing a game in a play-by-post forum, and the party is in Jzadirune facing off against the pair of ragamoffyns. This a tense battle so far, and it could go either way. I want to make sure I'm handling it right. Thus, I have some questions for the rules gurus.
1. If a Ragamoffyn hits with a slam attack, can it grapple then on the same turn as a free action? Does it have to make a touch attack? Does it have to make an opposed grapple check to hold the opponent? Does it deal any additional damage with a grapple (above and beyond the initial slam damage?
2. Assuming it does grapple successfully, it can then Wrap its victim on the next round right? Is this move automatically successful? Is an opposed grapple check required? Assuming it is successful, can the victim do anything on his turn to escape being wrapped? (with an opposed grapple check or an Escape Artist check for example?)
3. If a victim gets dominated by the ragamoffyn, is there only one will save allowed, or can the character keep trying on successive turns? Can another PC try to pull the victim free from the ragamoffyn?
4. How does the asphyxiation ability fit into all this? When is this damage taken? Is it mandatory for the ragamoffyn to deal this damage (after all, its main goal is to capture a host, right? Not kill its victim...)
I'd appreciate any help and advice, this is all threatening to make my head 'splode. Thanks!
The information you are seeking can be found in the SCAP hardcover on page 350 under the entry "Common Raggamoffyn" (or in the first Dungeon issue containing the SCAP - forgive me I do not know the issue #)
To answer your questions:
To initiate a grapple via "Improved Grap" ability, the creature first hits with its slam attack (Round 1) and then immediately (same round) makes an opposed grapple check. No additional damage is dealt.
The creature can "wrap" itself around a "grappled" foe (Round 2) (If the PC won the opposed grapple in round 1, or the PC successfuly escaped during his own turn before the Raggamoffyn had gone again return to round 1 for options as the creature cannot "wrap" an ungrappled foe.) This is a standard action. It does not require an attack roll or an opposed roll. It is automatic if the PC had already been successfully grappled by the creature. While "wrapping" the Raggamoffyn takes half damage from anyone attacking it but half the damage goes to the grappled PC. It is also considered "grappled" so apply appropriate consequences per the PHB rules on "grappling."
Once "wrapped" the creature can then attempt to wrest control of the grappled target. (Round 3). (IF the PC has escaped on its own turn, then return to Round 1.) Doing so is a Standard action allowing a Will Save of DC14 or the PC is effectively under a Dominate Person Spell.
At any time after this, the creature can let go of the host both mentally and physically as a free action.
The Raggamoffyn can also Suffocate a victim is has successfully "wrapped" dealing 1d4 points of damage. This would be a standard action during its turn in the round starting no earlier than the round following the "Wrap" manuever, unless the creature opts to dominate that next round instead. (it cannot do both dominate and suffocate in the same round). A common tactic may be to Grapple, Wrap, Dominate, and then begin to suffocate while maintaining mental control so that the host doesn't resist the suffocation.
I hope this answers your question.
Robert
The creature can "wrap" itself around a "grappled" foe (Round 2) (If the PC won the opposed grapple in round 1, or the PC successfuly escaped during his own turn before the Raggamoffyn had gone again return to round 1 for options as the creature cannot "wrap" an ungrappled foe.) This is a standard action. It does not require an attack roll or an opposed roll. It is automatic if the PC had already been successfully grappled by the creature.
Actually, according to the raggamoffyn description in MMII, the creature needs to make a successful grapple check to wrap a foe it has previously grappled.
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The creature can "wrap" itself around a "grappled" foe (Round 2) (If the PC won the opposed grapple in round 1, or the PC successfuly escaped during his own turn before the Raggamoffyn had gone again return to round 1 for options as the creature cannot "wrap" an ungrappled foe.) This is a standard action. It does not require an attack roll or an opposed roll. It is automatic if the PC had already been successfully grappled by the creature.Actually, according to the raggamoffyn description in MMII, the creature needs to make a successful grapple check to wrap a foe it has previously grappled.
Fair enough - I can accept that - I didnt have a MMII in front of me, I was merely reading the brief description in the SCAP hardcover. OF course any info in MMII would most likely superceed any discrepancies in the SCAP.
Robert
Having dominated a creature, can the raggomoffyn order it's host to attack and get it's own slam attack?
No, that creature then takes on a template and is considered on creature (a conjoined, hybrid type thing).
Sean Mahoney
No, that creature then takes on a template and is considered on creature (a conjoined, hybrid type thing).
Sean Mahoney
Sean is very much correct in this instance. That encounter can be lethally dangerous - two of my PCs encountered it alone (a cleric and a monk) and it literally bounced between the two of them until they finally wore it down.
- Cleric gets grappled.
- Monk aids the cleric in ungrappling.
- Monk gets grappled.
- Cleric aids the monk in ungrappling
Etc.
My groups encounter with it was scary as well. Basically the huge fighter had just seen how effective grappling was being for the monk and decided to grapple the pile of rags that floated up into the air. The creature ended up taking control of him and it took a while for the rest of the party to actually be able to take him out with out killing him when he was templated (damage reduction / splitting). It was scary and only the entire group working together to grapple him worked in the end... it was a long encounter and I decided to not have the thing bounce around on them.
Probably the toughest fight they had in Jazadirune... the fighter was cleaving his way through them.
Sean Mahoney
The common raggamoffyn detailed in the back of the SCAP Hardcover lists skill bonuses of +10 to Hide and Move Silently, and feats of Dodge and Stealthy. The MM2 has no skills or feats listed for any type of raggamoffin.
Any thoughts?
Maybe the SCAP statblock assumes skulk/creeper host?
That was my first thought as well, but the skulk has skills of Hide +22 Move Silently +14, and feats of Stealthy and Weapon Finesse. (The stats for the captured skulk seem correct.)
Unless i have some early printing of MM2 where skills and feats were left out of the statblock for raggamoffyns, i guess i'l assume this is a mistake in the SCAP Hardcover.
The common raggamoffyn detailed in the back of the SCAP Hardcover lists skill bonuses of +10 to Hide and Move Silently, and feats of Dodge and Stealthy. The MM2 has no skills or feats listed for any type of raggamoffin.
Any thoughts?
All is well.
It seems that the SCAP authors actually took the time to re-work all the 3.0 creatures to 3.5, giving them different pools of skill points and better feat progression. (I was already impressed with the SC Hardcover, and am now even more so.)
All raggamoffyns are constructs, but since they have an Int score, they get skills and feats as per the 3.5 guidelines for constructs.