giant centipede

Herein are gathered all the threads about those creatures that stalk our nightmares and against whom are characters must battle!
Post Reply
User avatar
kreider204
Unkbartig
Posts: 831
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:01 pm
Location: NE Wisconsin

giant centipede

Post by kreider204 »

CENTIPEDE, GIANT

NO. ENCOUNTERED: 2-24
SIZE: Small
HD: 1d4
MOVE: 40 ft.
AC: 11
ATTACKS: Bite (1d2)
SPECIAL: Darkvision 60 ft., Mindless, Poisonous Bite
SAVES: P
INT: Not Ratable
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
TYPE: Vermin
TREASURE: Nil
XP: 5+1/hp

These creatures look just like normal centipedes, but grow to a foot in length. They can be found in almost any environment, and come in a variety of colors (typically those that allow them to blend into their surroundings). They are very aggressive, and will swarm upon unsuspecting victims at the first opportunity.

Mindless: Lacking any significant mental abilities, they are unaffected all mind-affecting spells and abilities (e.g., charm, fear, illusions, etc.).

Poisonous Bite: A successful bite injects a weak poison into the target’s wound (+4 to save, a failed save results in a -1 penalty to all physical attributes and initiative for 1-3 days).

User avatar
Go0gleplex
Greater Lore Drake
Posts: 4051
Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 7:00 am
Location: Keizer, OR

Re: giant centipede

Post by Go0gleplex »

It's not a bad variant. Several versions of this are floating around...as well as the version put forth in "Dark Chateau", sadly out of print.
"Rolling dice and killing characters since September 1976."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."

User avatar
zarathustra
Red Cap
Posts: 324
Joined: Mon May 24, 2010 7:00 am
Location: Canberra, Australia

Re: giant centipede

Post by zarathustra »

The poison isn't too deadly, just to spice it up I would make the penalties cumulative (if they weren't already) & rule that if con ever reached 0 as a result of bites (likely a pc would be dead from dmg first but with a lucky HP roll & some healing thrown in you never know) they die.

User avatar
Lord Dynel
Maukling
Posts: 5844
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:00 am

Re: giant centipede

Post by Lord Dynel »

Not bad at all. I'd probably lower the damage to 1 or 1-2, but that's me. Other than that, it's good.
LD's C&C creations - CL Checker, a witch class, the half-ogre, skills, and 0-level rules
Troll Lord wrote:Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

User avatar
kreider204
Unkbartig
Posts: 831
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:01 pm
Location: NE Wisconsin

Re: giant centipede

Post by kreider204 »

Lord Dynel wrote:Not bad at all. I'd probably lower the damage to 1 or 1-2, but that's me. Other than that, it's good.
Yeah, I wasn't sure about that. The MM gives them 0 damage, but I was looking at some other giant bugs, and they had 1d4 damage. I think I might go 1d2 and split the difference. Thanks!

User avatar
kreider204
Unkbartig
Posts: 831
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:01 pm
Location: NE Wisconsin

Re: giant centipede

Post by kreider204 »

zarathustra wrote:The poison isn't too deadly, just to spice it up I would make the penalties cumulative (if they weren't already) & rule that if con ever reached 0 as a result of bites (likely a pc would be dead from dmg first but with a lucky HP roll & some healing thrown in you never know) they die.
Ya, the MM talks about "weak" poison, but that seems only to mean the +4 to the save. I like your cumulative idea, though, unless anyone else can make a better argument against it. Thanks!

User avatar
zarathustra
Red Cap
Posts: 324
Joined: Mon May 24, 2010 7:00 am
Location: Canberra, Australia

Re: giant centipede

Post by zarathustra »

Also, should the move really be 40'? I know it SEEMS like those things move really fast but there is no way they are as fast as an adult human, too small. One might be able to keep up with a briskly walking human but I can't see them being faster.

User avatar
kreider204
Unkbartig
Posts: 831
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:01 pm
Location: NE Wisconsin

Re: giant centipede

Post by kreider204 »

zarathustra wrote:Also, should the move really be 40'? I know it SEEMS like those things move really fast but there is no way they are as fast as an adult human, too small. One might be able to keep up with a briskly walking human but I can't see them being faster.
You know, I'm never quite sure how to convert movement rates. When I compare MM to M&T, converting inches to feet, it seems as though it's anywhere from 2x to 2.5x.

Anyone else? Thoughts about this? Should I give PCs an easier time running away from these buggers?! :)

User avatar
Lurker
Greater Lore Drake
Posts: 4348
Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:00 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: giant centipede

Post by Lurker »

I kind of like the idea of the high movement rate. The little buggers aren't tooooo dangerous in a one on one fight, but put 4 or 5 of them swarming around and be able to describe how quickly they are coming in on the players will make a great role playing moment.

Possibly make it a 40 mvmt for short bursts or something.
"And so I am become a knight of the Kingdom of Dreams and Shadows!" - Mark Twain

Forgive all spelling errors.

Knight Errant & Humble C&C Society Contributor
C&C Society

User avatar
kreider204
Unkbartig
Posts: 831
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:01 pm
Location: NE Wisconsin

Re: giant centipede

Post by kreider204 »

I think I'm going to stick to 40 ft. for now. I notice that giant ants (M&T) have 50ft. movement, and giant beetles (M&TotW) have 40 ft. I'm also using MM as a baseline: humans are 12" in the MM, 30 ft. in C&C PHB, and since centipedes have 15" in the MM, 40 ft. seems good in C&C terms.

User avatar
redwullf
Ulthal
Posts: 652
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 9:28 pm
Contact:

Re: giant centipede

Post by redwullf »

kreider204 wrote:You know, I'm never quite sure how to convert movement rates. When I compare MM to M&T, converting inches to feet, it seems as though it's anywhere from 2x to 2.5x.

Anyone else? Thoughts about this? Should I give PCs an easier time running away from these buggers?! :)
I remember reading in the C&C conversion doc (which I think you can find a reference to somewhere within these threads), that AD&D movement should be converted by multiplying by 2.5 and rounding to the nearest multiple of 10'.
Image
"The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs. He presents opportunities
for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own.” -- E. G. G.

--------------------------------------------------
Castles & Crusades Society Member

User avatar
kreider204
Unkbartig
Posts: 831
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:01 pm
Location: NE Wisconsin

Re: giant centipede

Post by kreider204 »

redwullf wrote:I remember reading in the C&C conversion doc (which I think you can find a reference to somewhere within these threads), that AD&D movement should be converted by multiplying by 2.5 and rounding to the nearest multiple of 10'.
Groovy - I think that's more or less what I've been doing already, without having thought about it.

User avatar
Go0gleplex
Greater Lore Drake
Posts: 4051
Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 7:00 am
Location: Keizer, OR

Re: giant centipede

Post by Go0gleplex »

This is what was printed in Dark Chateau...for another variant.

Giant Centipedes (These neutral creature’s vital stats are
HD 1d4, HP 2, AC 19, Move 25 feet. Their primary attributes
are physical. Their special abilities include successful attack
delivers 2d6 poison damage.)


and yet another variant from elsewhere.

Giant Centipedes
Size:Small
HD: 1(d6)
MV: 30'
AC:15
Attack: Bite (1d3)
Special: Poison Bite – CON save or suffer 1d4 additional damage, Darkvision, Scent
Saves: P
Int: -
Align: N
Type: Vermin
Treasure: Nil
XP: 7+1
"Rolling dice and killing characters since September 1976."
"Author of Wardogs! and Contributor to Iron Stars and Starmada-Admiralty ed."
"Certified crazy since 2009."

User avatar
kreider204
Unkbartig
Posts: 831
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:01 pm
Location: NE Wisconsin

Re: giant centipede

Post by kreider204 »

Interesting comparison, thanks! Hmm, AC sure does vary a great deal, and they both handle poison as additional damage. Hmm ...

Post Reply