The roper is an iconic D&D monster that premiered way back in the old Strategic Review. And yet, where is the love for this classic monster? OK, I admit the roper’s got its shortcomings, starting with an incredibly silly name. “Roper” does not exactly inspire fear, now does it? And yet, and yet . . . in pure game mechanics, the roper is a downright nasty monster in almost any edition. In 3.5e it has six ranged touch attacks, each doing 2d8 points of Strength damage. And then it reels you in to chomp off your head with its bite attack.
And there are glimmers of potential here: the roper is a fairly intelligent monster from the Underdark, and just proximity to the Underdark makes everything cooler. In his great Drow of the Underdark book, Ed Greenwood tried, and largely succeeded, to forge a connection between ropers and the worship of the being known variously as the Elder Elemental God, the Elder Eye, That Which Lurks, or Ghaunadaur. And with this connection, Greenwood ties ropers to the Cthulhu Mythos, which is probably where they belong—a servitor race to some ancient, incomprehensible, and implacable horror.
The 3e D&D designers chose to make the iconic roper a magical beast since that creature type has a better base attack bonus and better saving throws than the more intuitive type, aberration. Despite the mechanical advantages of this decision, the logic sticks in the craw of many right-thinking DMs. So presented here is a revised 3.5e roper, recast as an aberration. The following text is Open Game Content.
Roper
The large stone formation seems to twist and shudder, rising up from the darkness. A series of thin, whipping tendrils sprouts from the rock, as a single, yellow eye glares open above a saw-toothed maw.
They Rule the Dark. Ropers inhabit the darkest, most forlorn caves beneath the earth, feasting on the flesh of anyone foolish or ignorant enough to trespass. Roper territory riddles the crust of the world.
A Patient Hunger. Ropers hide among outcroppings of rock or skulk around stalactites, lashing out of the darkness with wiry strands of powerful sinew, dragging men like screaming babes into maws of grinding stony teeth.
Cryptic Killers. Though these predators possess the strength to tear a man in quarters or bite him clean in half, ropers also possess a canny intellect and a strange philosophy spurred by darkness and agony.
A roper stands some 9 feet tall and tapers from 3 or 4 feet in diameter at the base to 1 foot across at the top. It weighs 2,200 pounds. A roper’s coloration and temperature change to match the features of the surrounding cave.
Roper CR 12
Usually CE Large aberration
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +13, Spot +13
Languages Terran, Undercommon
AC 24, touch 10, flat-footed 23
(+1 Dex, +14 natural, -1 size)
hp 75 (10d8+30 HD)
Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +10
Immune electricity; Resist cold 10; SR 30
Weakness vulnerability to fire
Spd 10 ft.
Melee bite +10 (2d6+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (50 ft. with strand)
Special Attacks strands (+8 ranged touch, weakness and drag)
Before Combat A roper hunts by standing very still and imitating a bit of rock. This tactic often allows it to attack with surprise.
During Combat Once as many targets as possible are in range, a roper lashes out with six strands and drags prey to its waiting maw, sapping its victims’ strength as it does so.
Morale A roper, with limited mobility, usually fights to the death.
Str 19, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12
Base Atk +7; Grp +15
Feats Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (strand)
Skills Climb +12, Hide +10 (+18 in stony or icy areas), Listen +13, Spot +13
Environment underground
Organization solitary, pair, or cluster (3–6)
Treasure no coins; 50% goods (stone only); no items
Advancement 11–15 HD (Large); 16–30 HD (Huge)
Blindsense (Ex) A roper notices and locates creatures within 30 feet. Opponents still have 100% concealment against a creature with blindsense.
Drag (Ex) If a roper hits with a strand attack, the strand latches onto the opponent’s body. This deals no damage but drags the stuck opponent 10 feet closer each subsequent round (provoking no attack of opportunity) unless that creature breaks free, which requires a DC 23 Escape Artist check or a DC 19 Strength check. The check DCs are Strength-based, and the Escape Artist DC includes a +4 racial bonus. A roper can draw in a creature within 10 feet of itself and bite with a +4 attack bonus in the same round. A strand has 10 hit points and can be attacked by making a successful sunder attempt. However, attacking a roper’s strand does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the strand is currently attached to a target, the roper takes a -4 penalty on its opposed attack roll to resist the sunder attempt. Severing a strand deals no damage to a roper.
Strands (Ex) Most encounters with a roper begin when it fires strong, sticky strands as a ranged touch attack. A strand can strike up to 50 feet away (no range increment). Each round a roper can fire a single strand as a standard action or, using the full attack action, the roper can fire up to six strands and also make a bite attack. The creature cannot have more than six strands extruded at once. If a strand is severed, the roper can extrude a new one on its next turn as a free action.
Weakness (Ex) A roper’s strands can sap an opponent’s strength. Anyone grabbed by a strand must succeed on a DC 18 Fortitude save or take 2d8 points of Strength damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Skills Ropers have a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks in stony or icy areas.
Roper Feats
Silent as Stone [General]
Prerequisite: Roper, Stealthy.
Benefit: The creature gains a +4 bonus to all Move Silently checks in rocky environments and may use Move Silently at no penalty while climbing. If the creature attacks with its strands in the surprise round, it may automatically choke the opponent and cover the opponent’s mouth with a strand to quell any sound. If the creature hits with a strand in the surprise round, on its next turn it must make a Move Silently check at –5 opposed by the Listen check of nearby creatures. If the creature succeeds, it silently drags the opponent 10 feet toward itself, and the opponent’s allies are unaware the opponent is missing (barring precautions or activities that would make this obvious, such as being tied together, the target carrying the only light source, the target speaking before the attack, and so on).
Stone Clinger [General]
Prerequisites: Roper.
Benefit: The creature gains a climb speed of 10 feet and all the benefits of having a climb speed. The creature may hang upside down indefinitely from the ceiling, and then fall on any opponent passing below, dealing 2d6+6 crushing or piercing damage (the creature's choice).
Advanced Roper
Elder Roper CR 15
CE Huge aberration
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +21, Spot +21
AC 26, touch 9, flat-footed 25
(+1 Dex, +17 natural, -2 size)
hp 210 (20d8+120 HD)
Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +15
Immune electricity; Resist cold 10; SR 30
Weakness vulnerability to fire
Spd 10 ft., climb 10 ft.
Melee bite +22 (3d6+13/19–20)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft. (60 ft. with strand)
Special Attacks strands (+15 ranged touch, weakness and drag), Stone Clinger
Str 28, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12
Base Atk +15; Grp +32
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Silent as Stone, Skill Focus (Move Silently), Stealthy, Stone Clinger
Skills Climb +27, Hide +18 (+26 on stony or icy areas), Listen +21, Move Silently +6 (+10 in stony areas), Spot +21
Languages Terran, Undercommon
Drag (Ex) Breaking free from an elder roper’s strand requires a DC 33 Escape Artist check or a DC 29 Strength check.
Weakness (Ex) Anyone grabbed by a strand must succeed on a DC 26 Fortitude save or take 2d8 points of Strength damage.
Stone Clinger An elder roper has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. An elder roper may hang upside down indefinitely from the ceiling, and then fall on any creature passing below, dealing 2d6+6 crushing or piercing damage.
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
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