[DF] Statting a Dire Mantis Shrimp

[Stix4armz]

I came across this article on The Oatmeal yesterday about the Mantis Shrimp and immediately thought, "I would never want to face this thing in an underwater level."

I turn to you all for help statting this thing, because even just statting it realistically I don't know how to go about it. (Namely the punching as fast as a bullet)

I was thinking it'd be good to stat it as a dire mantis shrimp, anywhere from SM 0 to SM+2, that way this it would actually be a serious threat to your standard DF character.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[cltchrn]

to start...

Looks like they have:

Hyperspectral Vision
Peripheral Vision
several levels of Enhanced Tracking (3 focal points in each eye)

As for the crazy attacks:

Extra Attack
two Crushing Strikers
and lots of Striking ST for those Strikers only

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Stix4armz

I turn to you all for help statting this thing, because even just statting it realistically I don't know how to go about it. (Namely the punching as fast as a bullet)

Saying it "punches as fast as a bullet" is kind of misleading. Its claws do achieve impressive velocities, but for minute distances and times. The result is a concussive snap - in GURPS terms, an Innate Attack, a Crushing Explosion (or possibly Cone) centered on the claw. Explosions travel better underwater, dividing damage by the range in yards rather than by triple the range in yards. As far as I know, this is a feature of explosions, and doesn't have to be paid for separately.

For a DF Dire Mantis Shrimp, I'd turn that Innate Attack up to 11. Throw on a hefty Armor Divisor (the vibration propagates through most solid matter). You could even make it Corrosive, like the Sonic Screamers from UT, vibrating matter apart on the molecular level. Also, remember that large-area injuries are resisted by the average DR of the Torso and the least protected hit location. The attack could also have various Side Effects or Symptoms, such as Stun or Deafness.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

Saying it "punches as fast as a bullet" is kind of misleading. Its claws do achieve impressive velocities, but for minute distances and times. The result is a concussive snap - in GURPS terms, an Innate Attack, a Crushing Explosion (or possibly Cone) centered on the claw. Explosions travel better underwater, dividing damage by the range in yards rather than by triple the range in yards. As far as I know, this is a feature of explosions, and doesn't have to be paid for separately.

Except that, as I understand it anyway, those bullet-fast punches are not infrequently directed into some unfortunate aquatic animal. They're not rocket fists, but they are nasty stabbery.

On the other hand as fairly tiny critters, a momentum-based attack may be less effective than a human-sized type would think. Those claws might move at bullet speeds but they don't have the same areal density backing that up.

[Stix4armz]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

On the other hand as fairly tiny critters, a momentum-based attack may be less effective than a human-sized type would think. Those claws might move at bullet speeds but they don't have the same areal density backing that up.

Right, but that's why I want to make them man sized, those punches would be deadly if the mantis shrimp was as big as the delvers that would be facing it.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Stix4armz

Right, but that's why I want to make them man sized, those punches would be deadly if the mantis shrimp was as big as the delvers that would be facing it.

...Yeah. Honestly, they'd probably hit like cannon at that scale. Assuming of course that the dire shrimp's punching claws are tipped in some sort of unobtanium so that they don't smash to bits on impact.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Assuming of course that the dire shrimp's punching claws are tipped in some sort of unobtanium so that they don't smash to bits on impact.

Mantis shrimp can drop unobtanium claw shells? Hey, gang, forget the dragonscale armor. Guess what just jumped to #1 on our hunting list?