This isn't for any particular game, just as a fun exercise. So I would like to challenge the people of the forum to a simple task. There is a real world creature I would like to make much larger and pick out appropriate mechanics and abilities (spell-like?). What creature? The terror of the deep: the Mantis Shrimp.
If you don't know what one is see here:
The Oatmeal: Why the Mantis Shrimp is my new favorite animal.
True Facts about the Mantis Shrimp
What size should it be? What do its attacks look like? How high is its AC and DR? What Pathfinder abilities are appropriate?
No matter how crazy the ideas I will try to weave them all into one glorious whole.
Some Facts:
- Humans see three colors (red, green, blue), Mantis shrimp see sixteen.
- Mantis shrimp can change the color of its shell to match its environment and can appear as a dazzling array of colors.
- The mantis shrimp's attack can break the sound barrier, create water shockwaves and generates enough heat to make water give off light.
- The mantis shrimp's shell is one of the strongest known materials.
- The mantis shrimp violently attacks prey by beating it and severing off its limbs.
Edit: Added some facts which I think should be considered.
The mantis shrimp is definitely an ambush creature with a massive vital strike.
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The Remorhaz is already pretty close to one... I'd just remove Heat, and give it two massive damage claw attacks.
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Real world mantis shrimp = Pathfinder's Tetrolimulus
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Take any animal
Give it the face of Nicolas Cage
I'm serious. If you give anything disturbingly human-like features, it makes it much more terrifying. I had a mimic grow tentacles out of its wooden crate disguise, and the players were only mildly afraid. After I described human-like hands creep out of the mimic's crate lid and reach out to grab someone, my players asked if their characters should be taking Wisdom drain from how utterly terrifying that is.
If this creature was even Small sized it would be amazingly deadly, let alone making it LARGE! I could just imagine the party seeing what amounts to an over sized rainbow lobster and making the same mistake as the knights in Monty Python with the rabbit, but so much worse.
Real world mantis shrimp = Pathfinder's Tetrolimulus
Pretty close, especially the description and definitely a good start. We can remove the scorpion tail and add some additional abilities. I could see any of the following:
True Vision
Hypnotic Pattern
Blur
Hypnotism
True Strike
Detonate [Sonic, Cone]
Is Huge a bit too large? I'm thinking maybe a Large or Medium Mantis shrimp could be pretty terrifying.
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Just fooling around a little bit, here's what I came up with...
XP 1,600
N Medium Vermin (aquatic)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60, tremorsense 60; Perception +5
----- Defense -----
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+1 dodge, +6 natural)
hp 42 (6d8+18)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1
Immune mind-affecting effects
Weaknesses vulnerable to electricity
----- Offense -----
Speed 20 ft., swim 30 ft. (good)
Melee 2 Pincers +8 (1d6+3 plus grab), Rend (2 pincers, 1d6+4), Rake (2 claws +6, 1d4+3),
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Iridescent shell, supercavitation shockwave
----- Statistics -----
Str 16, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 3, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +5; CMB +6 CMD 16
Feats None
Skills Intimidate +4, Perception +5, Swim +3; Racial Modifiers +8 Swim
Languages None
SQ water breathing, water dependency
----- Ecology -----
Environment aquatic, marsh, coastal, ocean, rivers/lakes
Organization solitary
Treasure 1,550 gp
----- Special Abilities -----
Supercavitation Shockwave (Ex) Once per minute, as a standard action a giant mantis shrimp can move its pincers so quickly that the water around them boils before shooting forth in a shockwave then filled with tiny bursts of light. This super-heated water shoots forth in a 30 ft. line and causes 2d12+6 damage. Half this damage is fire-based (steam) and half is sonic (DC 11 reflex save halves). Victims with resistance to fire or sonic damage make separate saves for each damage type; others just save once.
Iridescent Shell (Ex) In bright sunlight, as a standard action a giant mantis shrimp can focus the sun’s light using its shell. The reflected rays shoot from the mantis shrimp’s shell in a 15’ cone, mirroring the effects of color spray (DC 15 Will negates). A recipient of this attack is then immune to further iridescent shell attacks for the next 24 hours.
It should be a small creature.
Give it a slam attack that is counted as oversized x2 (so deals damage as a large creature).
The slam is treated as adamantine.
Give it a special ability that when it hits, it gets a free special Sunder attempt that reduces AC from armor, shields, or natural armor, or an ability to ignore some amount of DR?
On crit, allow Fort save or lose a limb?
The slam does extra damage if used underwater (sonic? fire? untyped?).
Give it a lot of HD, Improved or Greater Vital Strike.
It should have some sort of ambush ability, maybe the Grab ability on its claws, and a high swim speed. Darkvision and innate True Seeing perhaps?
Some impressive DR/-- or DR/adamantine.
Ferocity.
A blending ability for stealth checks.
I've jotted down a basic idea below. Its not a complete sheet and misses many vital things (like attributes and skills). But I wanted to try to capture all the special abilities of the Awesome Mantis Shrimp. I've not made up any abilties as best I can and incorporated many things said above.
But frankly, just writing down everything a Mantis Shrimp can do is pretty terrifying.
NE Medium Magical Beast (Aquatic)
Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, true seeing
hp 16d10
Speed 30ft., Swim 60ft., Burrow 10 ft.
Melee 2 Appendages 1d10 (18-20) (See Ability)
Space 5ft.; Reach 5ft.
Base Atk +16;
Feats Endurance, Double Slice, Great Fortitude, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lunge, Run
SQ amphibious, hard shell, pounce, shoreline mastery
Hard Shell (Ex)
The Natural Armor Bonus of the Mantis Shrimp cannot be reduced or ignored by mundane means.
True Seeing (Ex)
Mantis Shrimp can see the entire spectrum including things which are normally invisible. This functions as true seeing, as the spell of the same name. This effect cannot be dispelled.
Shoreline Mastery (Ex)
The multilimbed nature of the Mantis Shrimp allows it to ignore the effects of uneven or difficult terrain. This does not apply to terrain magically manipulated to impede movement.
Appendages (Ex)
The several breeds of Mantis Shrimp exists and can have one of two possible appendages.
Spearers are armed with spiny appendages topped with barbed tips, used to snag and stab prey. This type of appendage gains a +10 bonus to Trip, Drag and Grapple Menuevers. On a successful attack, the Mantis Shrimp can make a free attempt to perform any of these maneuvers. The Mantis Shrimp gains Improved Drag, Improved Grapple and Improved Trip as bonus feats.
Smashers possess a claw that is a combined club and spear that is used to bludgeon and smash enemies while the inner side possesses a sharp edge. This type of appendage gains +10 bonus on Sunder attempts. On a successful attack, the Mantis Shrimp can make a free attempt to perform a sunder attempt. The Mantis Shrimp gains Improved Sunder and Improved Critical as bonus feats.
Rapid Strikes (Ex)
The Mantis Shrimp rapidly and precisely attacks an enemy tearing it to peices and ripping away limbs. This functions as Greater Two-Weapon Fighting but can only be used with its natural weapons. Once per mintue when using Rapid Strikes, The Mantis Shrimp can use its precise eyesight and speed to gain a bonus to the first melee strike as a swift action. This bonus functions as the spell True Strike.
Supercavitation Shockwave (Ex)
Once per minute, as a standard action a giant mantis shrimp can move its pincer so quickly that is generate heat and a shockwave. This super-heated shockwave shoots forth in a 30 ft. cone and causes fire and sonic damage per the spell detonate (using Hit Dice as caster levels). Half this damage is fire-based and half is sonic. As part of the attack the Mantis Shrimp can make a free melee strike on any enemy in range that is in the area of the cone.
Color Shifting Shell
The Mantis Shrimp shell can change color to match it environment or to dazzle its opponents. It gains a +10 bonus to stelth checks and gains the following spell-like abilities using its hit dice as the caster level: Rainbow Pattern and Blur. Each ability can be used once per minute.
Given the variety of spider, scorpion, and crab sizes in the bestiaries, I see no reason that Pathfinder couldn't have giant mantis shrimp range from small to almost kaiju sized (in fact, you could have a full on kaiju mantis shrimp like a tougher version of Ebirah from Godzilla vs the Sea Monster).
I've been giving this some thought and I may come back to the final version and do this. Have the Mantis Shrimp grow as it ages like a dragon. I can even envision a Unique Colossal Version that can be a custom Spawn of Rovagug (see template here) The unique version will be named "Stomatopod" :)
Candiru. Nough said
Man I was just about to post this...although I was going to post Candiru SWARM
I've jotted down a basic idea below. Its not a complete sheet and misses many vital things (like attributes and skills). But I wanted to try to capture all the special abilities of the Awesome Mantis Shrimp. I've not made up any abilties as best I can and incorporated many things said above.
But frankly, just writing down everything a Mantis Shrimp can do is pretty terrifying.
** spoiler omitted **...
Now we just need to put that together into a full stat block and figuring out a CR...
Well if you want scarier animals you can just increase the hit dice and apply templates to it. Like increasing the hit dice on a rhinoceros and giving it the half dragon and giant template to make it a colossal Rhino Dragon.
That tears it....
I'm making an Undine with a Mantis Shrimp for a familiar or an animal companion...
Put him in an Aqueous Orb and send him out to kick some enemy rump.
Well if you want scarier animals you can just increase the hit dice and apply templates to it. Like increasing the hit dice on a rhinoceros and giving it the half dragon and giant template to make it a colossal Rhino Dragon.
I think the idea wasn't to make existing animals more scary, but to stat up scary things that are still lacking in the bestiaries
What about the Bobbit Worm?
I think the idea wasn't to make existing animals more scary, but to stat up scary things that are still lacking in the bestiaries
What about the Bobbit Worm?
^ Pretty Much.
Some things in the real world are more terrifying than half the Bestiary, lol.
I think the idea wasn't to make existing animals more scary, but to stat up scary things that are still lacking in the bestiaries
What about the Bobbit Worm?
^ Pretty Much.
Some things in the real world are more terrifying than half the Bestiary, lol.
If I wasn't paranoid about the ocean enough, this thread has made me decide I shall never be taking a tropical cruise. With my luck, I'd get a radioactive mutant Mantis-Bobbit-Shrimp-Worm the size of Godzilla....
Candiru. Nough saidMan I was just about to post this...although I was going to post Candiru SWARM
Total nope mode engaged! Orbital bombardment starting in 5..4..3..2..1..launch!!!
Seriously, that is a delightfully horrid idea.
How about a fungus that takes control of those it infects?
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Adorable Animal
Some animals are just so cute that they become completely irresistable to any humanoid. Adorable animals might sound harmless, but the allure of an adorable animal and their insatiable need for attention goes beyond what's natural. Adventurers that underestimate these creatures have been known to become so enthralled, neglexting even their own most basic physical needs, that they starve to death. Lich masterminds have been known to keep Adorable white cats--relying on their immunity to the creature's abilities--to shut down goody-goody adventurers while they finish their monologue.
"Adorable" is a template that can be added to any animal.
Stat adjustments:
+4 Int +4 Wis +16 Cha
"Pet me!" (Sp):
An Adorable animal wants pets so much that other people cant help but giving them. An Adorable animal can whine and whimper, causing all humanoids in line-of-sight to rush to give the animal attention. This effect works as Dominate Person (DC=10+1/2HD+Charisma modifier) except that it lasts until the animal stops whimpering. An Adorable animal can maintain whimpering as a free action.
Utterly Adorable (Sp):
Any humanoid passing within 30ft of an Adorable animal must make a Will save (DC=10+1/2HD+Charisma Modifier) or be compelled to drop any items carried, approach the animal, and begin petting it with both hands while uttering cutesy nonsense words. This effect otherwise works as Hideous Laughter with a caster level equal to the animal's hit dice.
Puppy Dog Eyes (Sp):
Something about the big, innocent eyes of an Adorable animal can melt the heart of even the most hardened, grizzled murderhobo, making them tear up uncontrollably and contemplate this poor creature. This effect works as Crushing Despair (DC=10+1/2HD+Charisma modifier) with a caster level equal to the animal's hit dice.
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It's not even remotely scary, but the Glaucus Atlanticus could be a fun aberration beastie.
Zap it up to size Large (or medium for juveniles, or huge for elders), and retain the feature that it keeps the dangerous traits of the creatures it eats (instead of absorbing the stinging nematodes of the man o war jellyfish, it eats oozes and slimes, and retains the dangerous properties of it's preferred dinner in cells along the edges of its tentacles).
It's a flying amphibious air-breather (although preferring humid climates), slowly twisting through the air in jungle climates, devouring molds and slimes and fungus growing in those regions, but preferring the larger more dangerous ooze creatures or hazardous slimes or fungal creatures (such as vegepygmies, a rare treat).
Those that feed off of green slime are the most feared, as their green edges lashing tentacles spread the hazard to any warm-blooded creature they brush against, dissolving them into masses of green slime, which the creature hungrily devours.