Old School Monsters

[Shostak]

I guess they are built that way so as to be merely nuisance creatures with a low damage profile due to the low probability of successful attacks.

Speaking of flyers in Old School Monsters, what about the -3DX to hit Blook Hawks? Is that on top of the standard -4DX to hit a flying creature?

[hcobb]

The blood hawk won't be flying after the initial attack, as this isn't a flyby attack. Should still be good for a TPK without warning, as this is the best kind.

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by Shostak

I guess they are built that way so as to be merely nuisance creatures with a low damage profile due to the low probability of successful attacks.

Speaking of flyers in Old School Monsters, what about the -3DX to hit Blook Hawks? Is that on top of the standard -4DX to hit a flying creature?

Dagnabit, Shostak, you should read the whole thread before raising issues like this. We did the blood hawk thing already.

Actually, I see that you contributed to that conversation. It was only a year and a half ago, so I can't imagine why you don't remember it.

I gave a long summary of my final reasoning about blood hawks here, with the following conclusion.

Thus, here's my final (for now) interpretation of the blood hawk:
ST 4, DX 13, IQ 4, MA 30
Attack: 1d+3
The blood hawk is adept at dodging so all attacks against the hawk on the wing are at an additional -1DX to hit, for a total penalty of -5DX. The hawk itself is at -4DX penalty for attacking while flying. Hawks prefer wounded, small or unarmored targets and can stack two to a hex. They are found in casts of 2d+1 hawks.

Not mentioned above was the requirement that blood hawks must attack from the same hex.

This was my interpretation back in April 2023. I haven't had a blood hawk encounter since then so it hasn't really been tested (though, as usual, I gave way too much statistical information in that previous exchange). I'm okay with downgrading the penalty to hit a blood hawk on the wing, but I'm not positive about the following:

• Should blood hawks stack? They're awfully big birds.
• Relatedly, must blood hawks attack from the same hex?
• Finally, should they do 1d+3 damage? That's a very high damage output.

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by hcobb

The blood hawk won't be flying after the initial attack, as this isn't a flyby attack. Should still be good for a TPK without warning, as this is the best kind.

Having them land to attack doesn't make them easier, I think. It makes them harder.

I read blood hawks as having DX -4 when attacking on the wing. Their opponents would be at DX -4 as well if we ignore the -3 DX bonus when flying, so blood hawks have an adjDX of 9, which is better than any opponent who doesn't have and adjDX of 13 or more prior to the penalty.

On the ground, however, the blood hawk has no negative penalty, but his opponent has a DX -3 penalty, according to your reading. The blood hawk wins this fight pretty handily.

The last time we discussed this, Shostak pointed out that summing the two penalties (DX -4 and DX -3) for a blood hawk on the wing makes the blood hawk harder to hit than an invisible figure. That's pretty unreasonable.

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by phiwum

The last time we discussed this, Shostak pointed out that summing the two penalties (DX -4 and DX -3) for a blood hawk on the wing makes the blood hawk harder to hit than an invisible figure. That's pretty unreasonable.

A standing invisible figure only one degree of aim, pick a compass direction.
A flying evasive figure needs compass and elevation.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by hcobb

A standing invisible figure only one degree of aim, pick a compass direction.
A flying evasive figure needs compass and elevation.

Tell that to a giant attacking a halfling.

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Tell that to a giant attacking a halfling.

Again a 2-D problem as you can't just sweep across an area in contact with the ground but must smash the club down at a precise point.