So, Animal Archive went to the trouble of listing the item slots available for different animal shapes.
But what about other non-humanoid creatures like magical beasts and aberrations?
I'm working on a monster with class levels and as I start looking at gear budgets I realize "I don't know if it can wear this." So I'd like to start this thread as a place for DMs to chime in their thoughts on what oddly shapped critters may or may not wear.
Here's the one I would like help with: Intellect Devourer.
As far as I can find, there are two classed IDs found in Into the Darklands and Darklands Revisited. Neither has the full gear appropriate to their CR/level as per Monster Advancement (making me think others have hit this stumble as well). One specifically caveats the gear "when wearing a host", and the other has a single magical dagger.
With that in mind, here's the critter shape (with quotes from Darklands Revisited): a round body/head combo, four "claw-like legs" that are "unsuitable for grasping objects", and a proboscis that "can manipulate simple objects" allowing them to "activate wands, drink potions, and, in rare cases, wield rudimentary weapons".
The other limiter is its iconic ability: body thief. Some magic items just wouldn't work with crawling inside something's cranium. Even if we say it has a head slot, the Helm of the Mammoth Lord seems a bad call, but should that be a limiter on the ability, or on wearing the item?
Here is what I'm getting with "Generous DM" hat on (without getting into the body thief "clutter in the cranium" issue):
Rings, Wrist, Shoulders, Chest.
Maybe Body, Headband, Head, Belt, Feet and Hands (if designed for a monster/animal, no standard boots/gloves)
No eyes or neck slots, no shield.
Armor possible but obviously non-humanoid and back to cranium clutter.
Here is what I get with "Cautious DM" hat:
Ring (maybe 1 on proboscis), wrist.
Maybe shoulders, chest, headband or head or belt (1 slot for all three).
All others unavailable.
So, what do you think? Feel free to give your own ideas, and also to submit other monsters for examination. Can a Scylla wear a belt with those wolf heads in the way? Where does a Xacarba put its amulet? For the love of Sarenrae, what about the flumphs!
"Devoid of a head, or any features at all save for four short, clawed legs, this creature’s body looks like a large, glistening brain."
is the description of an Intellect Devourer.
Adding the proboscis for the new description.
So I would judge that no hands (but Claws if they have proper digits?) no neck, no head or headband, no feet, no eyes, or in the end any part it does not have it cannot wear when it is not possessing a proper body.
That being said I might give it 1 Ring for proboscis. Any slot-less items too are good like say Ioun Stones!
So it might get away with a Shoulder slot, bracer slot (maybe 2 sets?), gloves (Maybe 2 sets?) and maybe a belt. But beyond that it could use the host body's magic item slots instead?
It has legs, like animals do, so it gets things associated with legs: boots, shoes, etc.
Belt seems fine, but I would allow any stat item in that slot.
Ring, singular, on the proboscis. Also a singular hand item, which takes out many such, but not the glove of storing.
/cevah
I would say the claws eliminate the boot option myself...more like hands instead of feat which Might = Gloves over boots.
In the end I say they are better off using magic items while in a host body for full capacity.
that honestly depends on what the claws look like, if they are cat like claws i would say the boots would be fine if they are more like bird talons then they would not beI would say the claws eliminate the boot option myself...more like hands instead of feat which Might = Gloves over boots.
In the end I say they are better off using magic items while in a host body for full capacity.
Boots can be made like fingerless gloves, covering the pad. Boots also covers things like "anklets or spurs" so it needn't be a actual boot/shoe to allow feet items.