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Location: Peering at you from behind her DM screen, giggling ominously!
Posts: 1,263
When Cryptids Attack!
Here are some more "cryptids"...legendary and mysterious monsters from our own Earth!
THUNDERBIRD
Large Animal
Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22 hp)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft., 60 ft. fly (poor)
AC: 14 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: 2 Claws +3 melee, bite +3 melee
Damage: Claw 1d6+1, bite 1d8
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Snatch
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 3 Skills: Spot +6
Climate/Terrain: Any temperate land
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 5-8HD (Large), 9-12HD (Huge)
The thunderbird, or giant condor, is a large species of vulture-like bird that gets its name from its habit of taking to the air during powerful thunderstorms. Riding the winds with their massive wings spread wide, thunderbirds are thought by some cultures to be the heralds of the gods themselves. Others think they have some control over the storms, but this is not the case. Extremely rare, thunderbirds are simply an unusually large species of carrion bird.
COMBAT
Thunderbirds are carrion-feeders, and normally pay no attention to any creature not already in an advanced state of decay. When very hungry, a thunderbird will attack any prey smaller than itself.
Snatch (Ex): A thunderbird that hits a creature of at least Diminutive size, but no larger than Small, with both claw attacks attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If the thunderbird gets a hold, it can fly off with its prey and automatically make a bite attack each round in lieu of a claw attack. It can drop a snatched creature as a free action, or use a standard action to fling it aside.
A flung creature travels 10 feet and takes 1d6 points of damage. If the thunderbird flings it while flying, the creature suffers this amount of damage or falling damage, whichever is greater.
MAGICAL VARIANT
The magical variant of the thunderbird assumes that the legends regarding these creatures as being the bringers of thunder and lightning are true.
THUNDERBIRD
Large Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 4d10+4 (26 hp)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft., 60 ft. fly (poor)
AC: 14 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural)
Attacks: 2 Claws +4 melee, bite +4 melee
Damage: Claw 1d6+1, bite 1d8
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Snatch, lightning, master of winds, storm’s herald
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 3
Skills: Spot +8
Feats: Alertness Climate/Terrain: Any temperate land
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 5-8HD (Large), 9-12HD (Huge)
COMBAT
As above, plus the following:
Lightning (Su): Once every 1d6 rounds, as lightning bolt cast by a 4th level sorcerer; 4d6 damage, Reflex save DC 13 for half.
Master of Winds (Su): 3/day—gust of wind or wind wall; as cast by a 4th level sorcerer.
Storm’s Herald (Su): 1/month—control weather; as cast by an 8th level sorcerer.
Location: Peering at you from behind her DM screen, giggling ominously!
Posts: 1,263
MEGALANIA
Huge Beast
Hit Dice: 5d10+10 (37 hp)
Initiative: -1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 13 (-2 size, -1 Dex, +6 natural)
Attacks: Bite +10 melee, claw +5 melee
Damage: Bite 2d8+7, claw 2d4+3
Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 30 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, swallow whole
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 8, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 3 Skills: Spot +5
Climate/Terrain: Any desert land
Organization: Solitary or mated pair (2 adults and 1d3 juveniles)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 6-15HD (Huge)
Megalania is a species of giant monitor lizard upwards of 30 feet long. Some specimens grow even larger. They resemble lizards of more mundane size, being long and slender with sprawled legs and a long, flicking tongue. They have powerful claws however, which they use for digging as well as for combat.
COMBAT
A megalania will attack first with its bite, surging forward with speed that seems impossible for its large size.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, the megalania must hit a Medium-size or smaller opponent with its bite attack. If it gets a hold, it can try to swallow the foe whole.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A megalania can try to swallow a Medium-size or smaller opponent by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes 2d8+6 points of crushing damage per round plus 6 points of acid damage from the megalania’s gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using claws or a Small or Tiny slashing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 20). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must again cut its own way out.
The megalania’s gizzard can hold one Medium-size, two Small, four Tiny, eight Diminutive, or sixteen Fine or smaller opponents.
Location: Peering at you from behind her DM screen, giggling ominously!
Posts: 1,263
MANNEGISHI
Small Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 20 ft.
AC: 14 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural)
Attacks: Slam +0 melee
Damage: Slam 1d2-1
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Telepathy, psionics
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft.
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +6
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15
Skills: Hide +10, Knowledge (nature) +5, Move Silently +6, Sense Motive +6, Spot +6, Swim +3 Feats: Dodge, Iron Will
Climate/Terrain: Any land and aquatic
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 1
Treasure: Half standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 2-3HD (Small)
Mannegishi are mysterious, river-dwelling creatures that occasionally venture onto land to play tricks and frighten unsuspecting passers-by. Although they live in water, mannegishi have no gills or lungs, taking oxygen directly from the air or water around them. Their choice of habitat is strictly for reasons of safety—few enemies can reach them in the fast-flowing rapids and hollowed out caves beneath river boulders.
A mannegishi is a smallish creature with pale white skin; about 3 feet tall and very lightly built. Its arms and legs are almost unnaturally long and spindly, attached to its pear-shaped body with knobby joints. It has a huge head with a featureless face and two large, glowing eyes.
Lacking a mouth or any way to make vocalization, the mannegishi communicate via telepathy.
COMBAT
Mannegishi are not eager to enter combat, preferring to flee at any opportunity. Although they aren’t incapable of melee combat, they are extremely weak in that regard and when forced into combat rely heavily on their psionics.
Telepathy (Su): Mannegishi can only easily communicate telepathically with others of their own kind. Mannegishi that attempt to communicate in this manner with other races are only able to send crude mental images and flashes of feeling. Intelligent psionic creatures that make a Will save (DC 12) can freely interpret these images and establish direct communication with the mannegishi.
Location: Peering at you from behind her DM screen, giggling ominously!
Posts: 1,263
HOMINID, GIANT
Medium-Size Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 4d8+4 (22 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 13 (+3 natural)
Attacks: Slam +9 melee
Damage: Slam 1d6+7
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Qualities: Master of nature, rapport, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +12*, Move Silently +16*, Spot +3 Feats: Alertness
Climate/Terrain: Any land
Organization: Solitary or family group (1d4 adults plus 1d6 juveniles)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 5-8HD (Medium-size), 9-12HD (Large)
‘Giant hominid’ is a generic term encompassing several varieties of large ape-like beings that live in deep seclusion in the remotest parts of the world. Many sages dispute the very existence of such creatures, but reports of these massive but gentle beings continue to be whispered in the taverns of outpost towns.
Giant hominids are truly huge beings, most standing over 8 feet tall and weighing hundreds of pounds. Their strength is legendary, as is their ability to remain unseen and move without sound in their home environment. It is their uncanny unity with nature, their depth of understanding of the world around them, which enables them to maintain their elusiveness. Giant hominids reek of musk, filth, and stale sweat, and any creature with a sense of smell will automatically detect this odor if they are within 20 feet.
Giant hominids are in general very shy, reclusive beings. They will retreat from anything that they perceive to be a threat, moving away as quickly and as quietly as their skills allow.
COMBAT
When enraged or pressed to defend itself, a giant hominid will attack with its massive fists, sparing no ounce of its strength to overcome its attacker.
Master of Nature (Ex): Giant hominids have an intuitive mastery of their environment. They have a +8 racial bonus to all Hide and Move Silently skill checks undertaken in their natural habitat.
Rapport (Su): Druids have an unusual rapport with giant hominids, seeing them as protectors of their domain and champions of nature itself. Because of this understanding, any druid making a Will save (DC 20) will know when a giant hominid is within 100 feet. This DC decreases by 2 per level of the druid.
Any druid of 10th level or higher can automatically sense the presence of a giant hominid within 100 feet. A Wilderness Lore check of the same difficulty will allow the druid to detect the hominid’s exact position.
Location: City of Charion, Nation of Cremoria, Prime Material Plane of Areh
Posts: 5,009
A few comments:
MEGALANIA: Give it some form of camouflage ability to mash with the aborigini (and farmer) myths about the creature.
MANNEGISHI: Hmm... Psionic ideas: Distract, Lesser Mindlink, Psycholuminescence, Invisibility, Nondetection and Suggestion. I leave you to figure out how many times per day.
If you want to be faithful to the Native American legends, the mannegishi (or maymaygewishi) should probably be a Fey, not a Monstrous Humanoid. Just nitpicking - you can keep it that way if you want, and I'm sure no DnD players will call you on it. Except me.
And for psionics, how about giving it invisibility a few times a day. Nifty little inside jab at cryptozoology.
__________________ 'Cause you can't play Hitler's harmonica.
Svannhilde Firehair
10th-level Warrior of Midgard
Nimue server, DAOC
Ocheis
6th-level Warden of Hibernia
Guinevere server, DAOC
Location: Peering at you from behind her DM screen, giggling ominously!
Posts: 1,263
Quote:
Originally posted by Krishnath A few comments:
MEGALANIA: Give it some form of camouflage ability to mash with the aborigini (and farmer) myths about the creature.
MANNEGISHI: Hmm... Psionic ideas: Distract, Lesser Mindlink, Psycholuminescence, Invisibility, Nondetection and Suggestion. I leave you to figure out how many times per day.
And remember, it's only suggestions
Good point on the Mannegishi, but unfortunately I dont have the PsiHandbook. Got any ideas how to write up those powers?
Location: Peering at you from behind her DM screen, giggling ominously!
Posts: 1,263
Quote:
Originally posted by The Green Man Just suggestions from a cryptozoologist.
If you want to be faithful to the Native American legends, the mannegishi (or maymaygewishi) should probably be a Fey, not a Monstrous Humanoid. Just nitpicking - you can keep it that way if you want, and I'm sure no DnD players will call you on it. Except me.
And for psionics, how about giving it invisibility a few times a day. Nifty little inside jab at cryptozoology.
Youre a cryptozoologist? Neat! I have some other cryptids on the Creature Catalog site. Here you will find the Mongolian Death Worm, the Megalodon, the Lusca (aka St. Augustine Globster), and the ever-popular Chupacabra!
Originally posted by DnDChick Youre a cryptozoologist? Neat!
Well, I'm sort of a cryptozoologist. Not to the stage of actually writing books and making money (yet ), but I do research it nigh-obsessively. I've seen all the ones you did on the site, and have to say they seem pretty good (might come in handy once d20 Modern and CoC roll around!), although I'll attempt to restrain myself from giving my opinion on the (real version) chupacabra.
I could maybe give you some ideas of nifty lesser-known cryptids (plus, some famous ones would have other attributes if you go by the legends; i.e. the kongamato [African pterosaur]). Some could be made into templates I think, too.
Anyway, lemme know. I have a very extensive collection of books.
__________________ 'Cause you can't play Hitler's harmonica.
Svannhilde Firehair
10th-level Warrior of Midgard
Nimue server, DAOC
Ocheis
6th-level Warden of Hibernia
Guinevere server, DAOC
Location: Peering at you from behind her DM screen, giggling ominously!
Posts: 1,263
I have fixed the above mentioned links, and now I am going to work on making the Giant Hominid a Large creature rather than a Medium-size one. I dont know what I was thinking! LOL
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