While preparing to run a PFS Bounty that features this monster I thought I found a misprint in the adventure - but it looks like the same thing shows up in my Bestiary 2 and on the AoN entry for this creature - (https://2e.aonprd.com/Monsters.aspx?ID=584).
Under the Chupacabra's skills it lists "Acrobatics +9 (+11 to Leap)". This may be due to copying the monster stats from 1e where it had "Acrobatics +7 (+11 jumping)" since jumping was governed by Acrobatics in 1e.
So how should this be handled by the 2e Chupacabra? Should "Acrobatics" be changed to "Athletics" and "Leap" to "Long/High Jump"? Should it keep "Acrobatics" with no extra "Leap" modifier specified?
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Another issue is that Leap does not require a roll; High Jump and Long Jump do. It should probably be "Athletics +9 (+11 to jump)".
A lot of errors like this exist in the bestiary. There's one creature that has a bonus to Stealth to appear like a bush, which is weird because Disguise is a Deception check.
Designer
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Another issue is that Leap does not require a roll; High Jump and Long Jump do. It should probably be "Athletics +9 (+11 to jump)".
That's not correct. Leap is still the thing you do when High Jumping or Long Jumping. If you look at the success conditions for both High Jump and Long Jump, you'll see that they reference modifying your Leap height or distance. So a bonus when Leaping is correct.
Unofficial note on the primary subject since I'm here anyways: Monsters don't generally get static abilities that the GM can't interact with listed in their stat blocks. Things like proficiency, weapon specialization, etc. are just baked in without being called out. We also note in our guidance for running the game that if a thing doesn't seem to work for whatever reason or if there's two different interpretations and one doesn't work, assume the thing was written to function.
In this instance, the author of the monster clearly intended the chupacabra to get a +11 on checks it makes to Leap, so let it use that +11 on any checks it needs to make when it Leaps. Don't modify it and don't replace it since doing so will have ramifications that change the monster's capabilities and playstyle in other ways.
Leap is still the thing you do when High Jumping or Long Jumping. ... So a bonus when Leaping is correct.
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the author of the monster clearly intended the chupacabra to get a +11 on checks it makes to Leap, so let it use that +11 on any checks it needs to make when it Leaps. Don't modify it and don't replace it since doing so will have ramifications that change the monster's capabilities and playstyle in other ways.
I completely agree with all of the above (especially after re-reading "High Jump" and "Long Jump" entries).
I'd still argue that tying the "(+11 Leap)" to Acrobatics makes this confusing...Wouldn't something like:
- Acrobatics +9, Athletics +11 (Leap only)
- Acrobatics +9, Athletics +0 (+11 Leap)
- Acrobatics +9, Athletics +3 (+11 Leap) (to include base Strength...)
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Designer
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Leap is still the thing you do when High Jumping or Long Jumping. ... So a bonus when Leaping is correct.
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the author of the monster clearly intended the chupacabra to get a +11 on checks it makes to Leap, so let it use that +11 on any checks it needs to make when it Leaps. Don't modify it and don't replace it since doing so will have ramifications that change the monster's capabilities and playstyle in other ways.I completely agree with all of the above (especially after re-reading "High Jump" and "Long Jump" entries).
I'd still argue that tying the "(+11 Leap)" to Acrobatics makes this confusing...
Wouldn't something like:make it more clear what was intended?
- Acrobatics +9, Athletics +11 (Leap only)
- Acrobatics +9, Athletics +0 (+11 Leap)
- Acrobatics +9, Athletics +3 (+11 Leap) (to include base Strength...)
I didn't work on the chupacabra's stat block and we don't do official forum clarifications outside of FAQ or eratta, so I can't really get into that.
It was a valid concern, though, and I definitely wanted to help point you in the right directions since some of the solutions you were looking at, like swapping Acrobatics for Athletics, would massively change the dynamics of the monster. Right now it's a mobile skirmisher who can jump out and grab you for a quick boost, but the Escape DC is a Trivial 13, so the expectation is that it's probably not holding anyone when its next turn comes up unless they decided to let it keep a grip or just had horrible luck. Swapping its Acrobatics score to its Athletics score would change that, making the Escape DC a High or Extreme check for its level. That changes the entire flow of combat, which really isn't something you want to happen as an unintended side effect of clarifying another element of the monster (there may be situations where it's the right move, but you really want to do it on purpose so the monster does the things it was designed to do).
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It's probably that the creature can ignore the normal rules and use Acrobatics to make Leaps specifically, and everything else is the same. That's the easiest explanation that doesn't break anything. Same with other things that don't follow the "conventional" rules (like how a drainberry bush has a bonus to Stealth to appear like a bush...)
Is it worth the effort for statblock authors to make a note to show when skills have intentionally been changed, rather than mistakenly changed?
E.g.,
"Acrobatics +9 (+11 to Leap*)"
"Stealth +11 (+15 to Disguise* as a bush)"