Converting prehistoric creatures

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

Listen 4, Spot 3, and I agree with the CR of 3 and the advancement.

Shade, you missed the flavor text again - it's in this post.

Originally Posted by Shade

An adult estemennosuchus is about 10 feet long and weighs around 1 ton.

Deadly Charge (Ex): When an estemennosuchus charges, its butt attack does 2d6+14 points of damage.

Skills: An estemennosuchus has a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks .

Also, Estemmenosuchus is spelled with 2 M's, not two N's.

[Shade]

Updated.

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

Shade, I guess you were writing a post so you may not have noticed what i said above -

You missed the flavor text again - it's in this post.

Originally Posted by Shade

An adult estemennosuchus is about 10 feet long and weighs around 1 ton.

Deadly Charge (Ex): When an estemennosuchus charges, its butt attack does 2d6+14 points of damage.

Skills: An estemennosuchus has a +4 racial bonus on Swim checks .

Also, Estemmenosuchus is spelled with 2 M's, not two N's.

[Shade]

Updated. Anything left?

[demiurge1138]

They look finished to me. Rhyncosaurs next?

[Shade]

Sounds good.

RHYNCHOSAUR
FREQUENCY: Common
NO. APPEARING: 1-20
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVE: 9”
HIT DICE: 1 hp to 2 HD
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (bite)
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Nil to 1-4
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
INTELLIGENCE: Non-
SIZE: S to M (up to 3’ long)

Rhynchosaurs are lizardlike reptiles from the Triassic, where they may be extremely abundant in places. They are herbivores, some up to the size of a pig. With its large body, sprawling legs, and beaked head, a rhynchosaur may be envisioned as a large, barrel-shaped iguana with a parrotlike beak. Rhynchosaurs eat seeds and fruits, but they bite if molested. They vary with size as follows:

HIT DICE: to ¼ ½ 1 2
DAMAGE: Nil 1 1-2 1-4
SIZE: S(2-3) M(4) M(5) M(6)


Rhynchosaur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[demiurge1138]

So, let's go for a 1/2 HD (small) with advancement to 1 HD (Small), 2 HD (Medium)?

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

That works. I can't find too many details on specific species, so let's just make it generic.

I'd like to use the following ability scores: Str 7, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
I generated these by upsizing a lizard to Small. To bring its Armor Class to 14 (as the original) it would have a +3 natural armor bonus.

Unrelated to our conversions but related to prehistoric animals, I've created statistics for the pareiasaur Scutosaurus and posted them on the WotC forums: Here

[GrayLinnorm]

The best known rhynocsaur is probably the tuatara.
Edit: Never mind, the tuatara is a rhynchocephalian, not a rhynchosaur.

[freyar]

That seems kind of like a lot of natural armor for something Small. What about Dex 15, +2 natural?

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

Actually, i forgot about their size bonus (they're Small), so they only need +2 natural armor and +1 dex to add up to 14.

Rhyncosaur
Small Animal
Hit Dice: ½d8 (2 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-6
Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d3-2)
Full Attack: Bite +2 melee (1d3-2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent?
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: 4 points
Feats: Weapon Finesse (B), 1 more
Environment: x
Organization: Solitary, pair, or herd (5-20)
Challenge Rating: ¼?
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 1 HD (Small); 2 HD (Medium)

I'll return to finish the flavor text.

[Shade]

Looking good, except it's "Rhynchosaur", correct?

I'd say yes to scent. CR 1/4 seems accurate.

Listen and Spot for skills? Maybe Survival?

[demiurge1138]

Listen, Spot and Hide all seem pretty reasonable to me.

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

Lol I just realized I misspelled it! I don't know why, but for some reason I just keep wanting to omit the last H.

Those are fine for the skills, how about its feat?

Here's some basic flavor text:

This pudgy lizard-like creature has a short, triangular head and a bird-like beak.

Rhynchosaurs are small, abundant archosauromorph reptiles. These stocky creatures are herbivores, using their beaks to make quick work of tough plants.

These statistics describe a small rhynchosaur of about three feet in length; the largest known rhynchosaurs grow to lengths of about six feet.

Combat
Rhynchosaurs will bite if significantly disturbed.

[demiurge1138]

How about Iron Will or Great Fortitude?

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

I think all that remains is Environment.

[demiurge1138]

Warm forest and plains?

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

OK.
What's next?

[Shade]

Camelids, anyone?

Camel, giant
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Temperate plains
FREQUENCY: Common
ORGANIZATION: Herd
DIET: Herbivore
NO. APPEARING: 1-20
ARMOR CLASS: 6
MOVEMENT: 15
HIT DICE: 7
THAC0: 13
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 or 2
DAMAGE/ATTACKS: 1-6 or 2-8/2-8
SIZE: L (11. tall)
MORALE: Unreliable (3)
XP VALUE: 420

The giant camel looked much like modern species, except that it did not have a fatty hump. It was a grazer on Pleistocene plains, standing taller than the mastodons around it. If domesticated, the giant camel can carry up to 800 lbs. at full speed or 1,600 lbs. at half speed.

Combat: The giant camel attacks with a bite or two hooves, but cannot use both in one round.

Habitat/Society: Giant camels live in herds on temperate prairies, with habits similar to other herd animals. They tend to flee predators who come too close, but otherwise ignore them. As large herbivores, giant camels occupy a middle niche in the food chain. The young are taken by many carnivores, but only large carnivores can bring down an adult.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #167 (1991).

ALTICAMELUS/Aepycamelus
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 2-8
ARMOR CLASS: 7
MOVE: 18.
HIT DICE: 5
1 bite or 1 trample
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-4 or 1-6/1-6

This odd-looking Miocene relative of the modern camel looked more than a little like a giraffe. Alticamelus had long legs and a very long neck, placing its head 10' off the ground. Like giraffes, Alticamelus probably lived in open forests.

Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #137 (1988).

We can expand this to other camelids, such as Titanotylopus and Oxydactylus.

[demiurge1138]

Well, camels are already Large. Giraffes are Large too--and these mostly had height going for them. 7 HD, strip out the "permanent secondary weapon" thing, give them stampede?