Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 rollawaythestone Sep 09, 2010 1:37:25	It's not as exciting as some of the other monsters people are starting to post (Pennarin and LordArchaon) but the Screamer Beetle is a classic Dark Sun monster in my mind. It's relatively simple, mechanically, as well. Give it a psychic scream, another nifty power, and bam, done.  I have two design tweaks that I have been on the fence about. 1) changing the status effect on the Psychic Shriek to Immobilize and 2) changing the effect on the Screeching Backlash power to maybe damage, immobilize, or something else. Let me know what you think. Edit: I've posted the updated Screamer Beetle and Grub Swarm. The grub swarm gets a similar psyhic attack, but instead of sliding and CA, it immobilizes. The grub swarm hasn't matured enough to develop a psionic defense mechanism like the adult version, so it lacks a backlash. The Screamer Beetle now slides as well as grants CA with its Cerebral Shriek. People were also pushing to make the backlash an at-will, so I compromised by keeping it an encouter, but making the daze an auto-hit. Covered in a scintillating carapace, this tough beetle emits a psionic scream to disorient foes before devouring them alive. Dozens of hooked mandibles bite into flesh as this mound of roiling grubs debilitates its prey with a potent psionic attack.
#2 LordArchaon Sep 09, 2010 9:59:26	I'd suggest a good Slide 2 in addition to CA for the effect of the Shriek, and making the Backlash an At-Will, since after the second time it happens, good players would know that it's not a good idea to attack with psychic and should be punished if they continue trying!
#3 rollawaythestone Sep 09, 2010 12:49:27	Yeah. I've been back and forth on giving the psychic shriek a push effect. I think i'll do that. I think the fear of the backlash will keep a player from trying psychic damage again after the first time. I don't want the Screamer Beetle to be immune to psychic, or I would have given it resistance. That's why I considered an encounter power for the backlash. It has a psychic defense mechanism, but it can't maintain it.
#4 atomicbanana Sep 09, 2010 13:09:48	Either a slide or an immobilize.  Sounds like a pretty cool little (medium) creature.  How about homebrewing a swarm of screamer beetle larvae next?  If there's one thing I like throwing at a party it's a swarm.
#5 rollawaythestone Sep 09, 2010 13:12:39	A larvae swarm sounds cool. I'll post that tonight. The Screamer Beetle is meant to be just a generic dark sun monster to throw at players in a random side encounter. A nest of these guys might be a cool little detour.
#6 Pennarin Sep 09, 2010 22:20:29	Nothing really to say, perhaps make Backlash At-Will as it was mentioned. It doesn't have a major effect either way. PCs will either stop attacking with psychic or try again later, would be nice if they got stung each time. It's not sexy, but I like it. Now combine it with some swarm, combo it up - as I think you're the one to have said that - and it will become a cool monster. I see the creature's young swarming very fast over each other, forming a mound, and when the PCs come close enough to them a hole appears in the moving mass, hole through which the caretaker mother bursts out.
#7 rollawaythestone Sep 10, 2010 1:14:57	I've posted the updated Beetle and Grub Swarm above. I added a slide to the Psychic Shriek (Now Cerebral Shriek). Several comments were about making the backlash stronger by making it an at-will. I didn't want to make psychic damagers useless against this thing, so I didn't want to make it an at-will. Instead, I compromised, and made the encounter backlash an auto-hit daze effect, where before it was an attack vs will. Let me know if you have anymore comments! Was fun!
#8 claytonm Sep 10, 2010 8:00:30	I love the backlash! That's a great little touch that makes it nice and unique.  Two of those guys, a larva swarm and say... a beefed up fire beetle for a bit of flava.  Solid encounter. Bite Shriek, Burn, lather, rinse, repeat.
#9 atomicbanana Sep 10, 2010 12:31:47	definitely a good call with adding the daze to backlash, after having to save for that no one is going to want to try psychic on it again. Love the swarm, too.  Works really well with the beetle.  kudos!
#10 rollawaythestone Sep 10, 2010 12:34:45	Thanks for the comments! I'm glad everyone likes the final product. If anyone ends up using it in an encounter, let me know. I'd love to know how it went!
#11 rollawaythestone Sep 13, 2010 21:52:27	I've edited the Screamer Beetle and Grub above once again. They felt better as Beasts than as Magical Beasts. More like Cilops than Dagorran.