I was lurking around and found the Shredskin. Whom I wanted to use for a future enemy in my game.
But there are some inconsistencies in the monster that makes it confusing.
The main issue is: There attacks are reach 0 (It is also found in Devil At the Dreaming Palace, which has a normal attack reach)
It's Control Body states
Requirements: The shredskin is in the same space as a Medium or Small humanoid-shaped corpse...While controlling a host, the shredskin uses the host’s Speed but its own attacks, and it loses its Grab and Enshroud abilities."
So RAW, it's attacks are at reach 0, so they could only attack the host they have in control with.
Next, while controlling the host, it's claw attack loses the grab trait. As well as the enshroud abilities.If it can only attack people it has control over and it loses the grab trait by controlling them. It would never able to use the Grab trait
Now an argument could be made: That this is on purpose. This is more of a trap monster to attack hosts and move them away from everyone. Not to attack anyone else.
For me? I lean more towards the Shredskin found in Devil at the Dreaming Palace. Since it seems more in keeping with the monster. To be able to attack others, whether they have a (living) body or not. Why else would it's claws have the grab trait?
Either the reach on there attacks should be bumped back to 5 feet. Or it's claw attack should lose Grab.
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Personally, I also think it is a bit broken. When using Control Body it should use the corpse's speed and reach, but its own numerical stats for the attack. And still lose the grab ability.
Personally, I also think it is a bit broken. When using Control Body it should use the corpse's speed and reach, but its own numerical stats for the attack. And still lose the grab ability.
I can see that. Though, for me I’d still want the Shredskin to still be some kind of threat. Else the only way they can do damage is by Critically Succeeding a Grapple.
Should it be a high bar to take over a pc’s character? Makes sense to me. But not so high just for the potential to deal 1d6+4 or 1d8+4 damage.
I think giving the creature a reach of 5 feet should be fine. Right?
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Personally, I also think it is a bit broken. When using Control Body it should use the corpse's speed and reach, but its own numerical stats for the attack. And still lose the grab ability.I can see that. Though, for me I’d still want the Shredskin to still be some kind of threat. Else the only way they can do damage is by Critically Succeeding a Grapple.
Maybe I am not being clear enough. This is what I am proposing:
If the Shredskin is floating around by itself, then it has a reach of 0 for its bite and claw attacks. So it can attack a living creature by entering its space and using those attacks from 0 range. It can also use its Grab and Enshroud abilities on that living creature.
If it finds a corpse, or kills one of the PCs (or successfully uses Enshroud), then it can use its Control Body ability and animate the corpse. The combination then has the dead creature's original movement speed and reach for its attacks, but it uses the numerical values from the Shredskin's bite and claw attacks. And it can't use Grab and Enshroud any more since it is using an animated corpse body to attack with.
So in both cases, the level 2 Shredskin is doing attacks at +10 or +11 attack bonus and dealing 1d6 +4 or 1d8 +4 damage to the target.
In one case, it is doing so while wrapping around the PC that it is attacking.
And in the other it is doing so by manipulating a dead arm or mouth into doing the attacks with 5 foot reach.
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By RAW, I would agree that while using Control Body the Shredskin/Corpse combination still has 0 reach. And since it can't share a space with another creature larger than tiny, it isn't able to attack with its attacks any more.
But that is just a bit weird and probably an error that needs fixed with errata.
Personally, I also think it is a bit broken. When using Control Body it should use the corpse's speed and reach, but its own numerical stats for the attack. And still lose the grab ability.I can see that. Though, for me I’d still want the Shredskin to still be some kind of threat. Else the only way they can do damage is by Critically Succeeding a Grapple.Maybe I am not being clear enough. This is what I am proposing:
If the Shredskin is floating around by itself, then it has a reach of 0 for its bite and claw attacks. So it can attack a living creature by entering its space and using those attacks from 0 range. It can also use its Grab and Enshroud abilities on that living creature.
If it finds a corpse, or kills one of the PCs (or successfully uses Enshroud), then it can use its Control Body ability and animate the corpse. The combination then has the dead creature's original movement speed and reach for its attacks, but it uses the numerical values from the Shredskin's bite and claw attacks. And it can't use Grab and Enshroud any more since it is using an animated corpse body to attack with.
So in both cases, the level 2 Shredskin is doing attacks at +10 or +11 attack bonus and dealing 1d6 +4 or 1d8 +4 damage to the target.
In one case, it is doing so while wrapping around the PC that it is attacking.
And in the other it is doing so by manipulating a dead arm or mouth into doing the attacks with 5 foot reach.
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By RAW, I would agree that while using Control Body the Shredskin/Corpse combination still has 0 reach. And since it can't share a space with another creature larger than tiny, it isn't able to attack with its attacks any more.
But that is just a bit weird and probably an error that needs fixed with errata.
Ahhhh I see what you mean. That makes sense to me.