Talk:Hungering Mantis (4e Race)

Original Author's considerations for alterations:

1: Change ability scores to +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom

2: Remove all but damage effect of Hidden Talons or remove all but climbing effect of Hidden Talons

3: Remove DR vs. Bludgeoning granted by Boneless

4: Change Vicious Consumption effect to "Heal (1d4?) per HD of target corpse", reduce time requirement

5: Remove Exoskeletal Growth

Posting this rather than making changes due to "If you do not understand balance please leave comments" notice.

Secondly, thoughts considering use of Feral Hungering Mantis (Large/Huge size from Exoskeletal Growth) as monster/boss creature?

1) Sounds good and appropriate.

2) The climbing effect is nice: natural weapons as a trait is a problem, it doesn't interact well with class choice and they quickly become outmatched by magic weapons. However, see Claw Fighter (4e Feat).

3) Removing this is probably a good idea since 4e doesn't have "DR", "Bludgeoning attacks", "HD" or "effects that target bones".

4) Temporary hit points, though. My first thought was to make this a trait that gives you temporary hit points when you take a second wind next to a recently killed Natural Beast or Humanoid, but I think most people remove the miniatures of killed monsters so that means leaving a token or remembering where the body is. That might be fine, but it's not really in 4e design philosophy. The next idea is to make this an encounter power that triggers on an adjacent natural beast or humanoid being killed, and they get temporary hit points. Maybe that sounds too quick, but I'm imagining it like they bite your head off nom nom nom

5) Agree, making PCs Large or larger is a no no, for reasons discussed elsewhere (unless you want to use the Elite Characters system!) Marasmusine (talk) 01:06, 16 June 2013 (MDT)

Begin junkHead

1) Check

2) Check

3) Check

4) I can see how the "quick head bite" image would influence your idea, and it sounds like a good one. The difference is that I consider Vicious Consumption to be the rapid eating of an entire body, which would be the reason it can't be used in combat and why it heals rather than grant temporary hit points. Still, I'm no master of 4e, so I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter, especially in how many hit points should be healed or temporarily granted. Maybe the amount of healing should be based on the size of the creature and increase at certain levels?

5) Yeah, I may or may not try making an Elite Character of this race in the future, if I can get the race itself done properly. I also have a few other ideas I might like to try bringing to life via Dungeons and Dragons, so I appreciate the quick help and constructive criticism.

-junkHead, 08:01, 16 June 2013 (PDT)

How about "Once during a short rest after a combat encounter, you can consume the corpse of a Natural Beast or Humanoid that was killed in that encounter. If you do, healing surges that you spend during that rest restore an additional 2 hit points." Marasmusine (talk) 09:47, 16 June 2013 (MDT)

Begin junkHead

I'm not 100% sure about how I feel about those changes, but that might be due to me lacking certain understandings of what that would do to the power. As such, I changed it to an Encounter power, made it a free action that triggers when your party takes a short rest after a combat encounter, added the "Natural Beast or Humanoid" to requirement (that one made total sense and I'm glad you brought it up), and kept the +2 to restored Hit points per size category above Medium. If any of that is or seems off, please let me know.

-junkHead, 09:41, 16 June 2013 (PDT)

The way it's worded, you do have the option of making that a trait rather than a power, if you want to free the racial power slot up for something else. Marasmusine (talk) 10:52, 16 June 2013 (MDT)

Begin junkHead

Added Exoskeletal Coloration trait, started adding Flavor text. Suggestions and criticisms welcome.

-junkHead, 12:01, 16 June 2013 (PDT)