Grasp of the Emerald Claw: Errata? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Grasp of the Emerald Claw: Errata? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Dr. Confoundo
07-05-05, 10:45 AM Possible spoilers ahead...

So I'm prepping a session of 'Grasp of the Emerald Claw', and I'm trying to verify that the statblocks are correct (because I'm obsessive that way), and I run across Arkaban, the mummy sorcerer. Are there some rules in play that I am missing here? From what I can see, this character has spent roughly 165 skill points (and that's even assuming his skills are class skills, which very few seem to be). But he shouldn't have more than 48 (44 from his Mummy HD, and 4 from 2 levels of Sorcerer). Now, I can understand it being off by a few points... but off by 120???

Either I am missing something completely obvious that answers my whole question, or this character is completely out of whack. I know what the more likely explanation is, but can anyone point out the flaw in my logic? Or failing that, point me towards some errata for this module?
CJN
07-05-05, 11:44 AM I took a look and I can neither figure it out.
But, I did notice that you forgot the Alertness feat and the bonuses from high stats.
Dex 15 gives +2 to Hide, Cha 17 gives +3 to Diplomacy and Intimidate, Alertness gives +2 to Spot and Listen. That's only 12 points so you still have to find about 100 somewhere else.
Dr. Confoundo
07-05-05, 01:03 PM I already counted the feats and stat bumps in there. He's got a bunch of INT and WIS skills, but no bonuses to either of those stats.

Would the -4 INT modifier that a Mummy has come into play here somehow? Like the designer built the character with a 14 INT, and then slapped the Mummy template on at the end? Doesn't seem like the correct way to do this, and it wouldn't account for all of the extra points anyways.
CJN
07-05-05, 03:11 PM I already counted the feats and stat bumps in there. He's got a bunch of INT and WIS skills, but no bonuses to either of those stats.

Would the -4 INT modifier that a Mummy has come into play here somehow? Like the designer built the character with a 14 INT, and then slapped the Mummy template on at the end? Doesn't seem like the correct way to do this, and it wouldn't account for all of the extra points anyways.

Maybe someone added +10 to all skills by mistake?
I you subtract 10 from each skills, take into account the feats and stats and assume that all skills are class skills, then my calculations shows that 41 skill points are needed which is much closer to target.
Radkres
07-05-05, 05:58 PM is it possable they gave him starting skill levels twice?
once as a monster class and once as Sorcerer?
Wasteland Knight
07-05-05, 07:24 PM Arkaban's hit dice and hit points are incorrect as well. His Hit Dice are listed as 8d12 + 2d4, but since he's undead the d4's from his sorceror levels should be converted to d12's. It's not really a big deal since average hp for 10d12 equals 65, and in the module he has 62, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.
Verse
07-05-05, 07:34 PM Check the Mummy Lord in Monster Manual, it has undead hitdice and standard hitdice for its class levels. I've seen other classed undead doing this. The all HD become d12s is a feature of the template undead like Liches and vamps. It seems standard undead who gain class levels get the normal HD.
Dr. Confoundo
07-05-05, 11:00 PM I thought I'd go straight to the horse's mouth for an answer on this, so, without further ado, Bruce Cordell's response:

Anyhow, I'm afraid you're not going to like my answer to your
question: Arkaban's skill selection appears to me to be an error.
Like you, I can see only about 48 skill points available for skills.

Plus, he should be CR 7, not 6 (CR 5 + 2 class levels).

Arkaban looks as if he is suffering from a cut and paste error--well,
I would almost think that, but his skill point totals are 'maxed' at
+13 where appropriate... it is almost as if whoever wrote up Arkaban
followed the rules for skill point expenditure as if he really should
have all those extra skill points. But I still think it is an error.

Once a product leaves design, it always improves in development and
editing--the product is better for that pass. Unfortunately, there is
also an opportunity to introduce a few errors, and I suspect this may
be what occurred in Arkaban's case.

Much as I expected. Thanks to everyone who chimed in, and a big thanks to Bruce himself.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dr. Confoundo 07-05-05, 10:45 AM	Possible spoilers ahead... So I'm prepping a session of 'Grasp of the Emerald Claw', and I'm trying to verify that the statblocks are correct (because I'm obsessive that way), and I run across Arkaban, the mummy sorcerer. Are there some rules in play that I am missing here? From what I can see, this character has spent roughly 165 skill points (and that's even assuming his skills are class skills, which very few seem to be). But he shouldn't have more than 48 (44 from his Mummy HD, and 4 from 2 levels of Sorcerer). Now, I can understand it being off by a few points... but off by 120??? Either I am missing something completely obvious that answers my whole question, or this character is completely out of whack. I know what the more likely explanation is, but can anyone point out the flaw in my logic? Or failing that, point me towards some errata for this module?
CJN 07-05-05, 11:44 AM	I took a look and I can neither figure it out. But, I did notice that you forgot the Alertness feat and the bonuses from high stats. Dex 15 gives +2 to Hide, Cha 17 gives +3 to Diplomacy and Intimidate, Alertness gives +2 to Spot and Listen. That's only 12 points so you still have to find about 100 somewhere else.
Dr. Confoundo 07-05-05, 01:03 PM	I already counted the feats and stat bumps in there. He's got a bunch of INT and WIS skills, but no bonuses to either of those stats. Would the -4 INT modifier that a Mummy has come into play here somehow? Like the designer built the character with a 14 INT, and then slapped the Mummy template on at the end? Doesn't seem like the correct way to do this, and it wouldn't account for all of the extra points anyways.
CJN 07-05-05, 03:11 PM	I already counted the feats and stat bumps in there. He's got a bunch of INT and WIS skills, but no bonuses to either of those stats. Would the -4 INT modifier that a Mummy has come into play here somehow? Like the designer built the character with a 14 INT, and then slapped the Mummy template on at the end? Doesn't seem like the correct way to do this, and it wouldn't account for all of the extra points anyways. Maybe someone added +10 to all skills by mistake? I you subtract 10 from each skills, take into account the feats and stats and assume that all skills are class skills, then my calculations shows that 41 skill points are needed which is much closer to target.
Radkres 07-05-05, 05:58 PM	is it possable they gave him starting skill levels twice? once as a monster class and once as Sorcerer?
Wasteland Knight 07-05-05, 07:24 PM	Arkaban's hit dice and hit points are incorrect as well. His Hit Dice are listed as 8d12 + 2d4, but since he's undead the d4's from his sorceror levels should be converted to d12's. It's not really a big deal since average hp for 10d12 equals 65, and in the module he has 62, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.
Verse 07-05-05, 07:34 PM	Check the Mummy Lord in Monster Manual, it has undead hitdice and standard hitdice for its class levels. I've seen other classed undead doing this. The all HD become d12s is a feature of the template undead like Liches and vamps. It seems standard undead who gain class levels get the normal HD.
Dr. Confoundo 07-05-05, 11:00 PM	I thought I'd go straight to the horse's mouth for an answer on this, so, without further ado, Bruce Cordell's response: Anyhow, I'm afraid you're not going to like my answer to your question: Arkaban's skill selection appears to me to be an error. Like you, I can see only about 48 skill points available for skills. Plus, he should be CR 7, not 6 (CR 5 + 2 class levels). Arkaban looks as if he is suffering from a cut and paste error--well, I would almost think that, but his skill point totals are 'maxed' at +13 where appropriate... it is almost as if whoever wrote up Arkaban followed the rules for skill point expenditure as if he really should have all those extra skill points. But I still think it is an error. Once a product leaves design, it always improves in development and editing--the product is better for that pass. Unfortunately, there is also an opportunity to introduce a few errors, and I suspect this may be what occurred in Arkaban's case. Much as I expected. Thanks to everyone who chimed in, and a big thanks to Bruce himself.