Sorry I've been absent to this thread for so long - guys, you'll be getting your documents shortly. But never fear! I have returned to finish this damn thing up once in for all!
APPENDIX 1: OTHER BEASTS OF SKULL ISLAND
BIDENSAURUS
A close relative of lycaesaurus native to the mountains of Skull Island, bidensaurus are nocturnal hunters that track prey by sense of smell. They resemble the lycaesaurus, except for a more sure-footed stride and even more prominent canine teeth. Solitary, they are only seen with others of their kind during the mating season. Use the statistics for a lycaesaurus, but remove the rend fallen special attack, increase the bite damage to 1d8+3 and give it a +4 racial bonus on Balance checks.
BURGLAR MONKEY
Relatives of the tarsier, burglar monkeys are slow, docile animals that eat fruit and avoid predators by sleeping inside of trees during the day. Use the statistics for monkeys.
CARRION PARROTS
Scavenging parrots, the carrion parrots have more drab plumage than their frugivorous relatives, as well as bald heads and beaks better suiting to tearing flesh. Use the statistics for vultures (Sandstorm pg 195). If you do not have access to Sandstorm, use the statistics for eagles, but remove the talons attack and give it a +2 resistance bonus on all saving throws made against disease.
CRABS
A large species of hermit crab, the bonehouse crabs use skulls for their homes. Nest crabs specialize on parasitizing the nests of seabirds, depositing juveniles in these nests to scavenge on feathers, fish and even chicks. Corpse crabs are scavengers native to the shores of Skull Island estuaries. For all these animals, use the statistics for abyscidis, but remove the light blindness quality and add the amphibious special quality.
CHALYCERATOPS
Chalyceratops is a small ceratopsian that lives on the borders of the jungles and mountains of Skull Island. A close relative of sylvaceratops, it is not as fast, instead relying on armor and its powerful horns. Use the statistics for sylvaceratops, but replace the Dodge and Run feats with Improved Natural Armor and Endurance, reduce Dex by 2 and increase Con by 4, increase gore damage to 2d6, and add the deadly charge ability, letting it deal 4d6+6 damage on a charge attack. These changes warrant a +1 CR increase.
DISCUS
A coastal lizard, discus have stiff gliding membranes, which they use to escape predation by seabirds. Use the statistics for flizards.
DRAGONSKIN
Brightly colored monitor lizards native to the coasts of Skull Island, dragonskins feed on eggs, crustaceans and other small animals along the rocky shore. Use the statistics for a monitor lizard.
DWARF VENATOSAURUS
A close relative of the larger venatosaurus, the dwarf species differs only in size (up to twelve feet in length) and coloration – the dwarves are brown in hue, with black stripes and a bright blue tail-tip used in communication with other members of the pack. These dwarf venatosaurs prefer to hunt in (and through) the dense foliage around Skull Island’s riverbanks, preying on ligocristuses and feral buffalo. Use the statistics for the venatosaurus, but reduce the dwarf venatosaurus’s size to Large (with the differences in ability scores this entails) and give it Weapon Finesse as a racial bonus feat and a climb speed of 20ft.
GLUTTONWORM
Foul parasites resembling a ribbon ending in a dart, gluttonworms pose a danger to any large warm-blooded creature wading in Skull Island’s water. Using their heads to burrow into a victim’s flesh, they drink blood rapaciously. Use the statistics for giant leeches (Stormwrack pg 154). If you don’t have access to Stormwrack, use the statistics for a weasel, giving it the vermin type, a swim speed of 10 ft, the aquatic subtype and the anesthetic special attack (creatures bitten by the gluttonworm must make a Spot check, opposed to the gluttonworm’s Hide check, to notice that they are being attacked. The victim gets a +2 cumulative bonus to this check each round).
HYLAEORNIS
Hylaeornis is a fightless bird that forages for fruits in the deepest parts of Skull Island’s jungles. They are commonly preyed upon by many jungle species, relying on their speed to save them. Use the statistics for a pinnatono, but reduce the pinnatono’s size to Medium (with the statistic changes this entails), remove the spit and stench special attacks and give it a speed of 40 feet. Swap its feats for Alertness and Run. Reduce CR by 1.
MEGAPEDES
Skull Island is home to many giant centipedes. Use the statistics for Tiny, Small or Medium monstrous centipedes with no modification.
NEEDLEMOUTH
One of the dominant predators of fish on Skull Island, the needlemouth is a large fish with crocodile-like jaws. Rapid swimmers, they chase prey through the silty water. Use the statistics for a Large shark.
NEOPEDES
Aquatic relatives of the giant centipedes, neopedes are common in all of Skull Island’s waterways. The majority of them are savage predators. Use the statistics for Tiny, Small or Medium monstrous centipedes, but replace their climb speed with a swim speed and give them the aquatic subtype.
NOCTUPERVAGUS
An ostrich-like fightless omnivore native to Skull Island’s thick jungles, noctupervagus is a forager skilled enough to remove the poisonous mouthparts of giant centipedes, its favorite meal. A very primitive bird, noctupervagis has true teeth in its beak, and a single claw on each stunted wing. Use the statistics for a brutornis, but remove the augmented critical and sprint qualities, change bite damage from 2d6 to 1d8, and add a secondary kick attack dealing 1d6 damage. Reduce the CR by 1.
ORNATE CARRION BEETLE
A bright red beetle no more than an inch long, the ornate carrion beetle has a remarkably keen sense of smell, and a remarkable odor that they spray on corpses to ward away competing scavengers. Any creature within 5 feet of a corpse “claimed” by an ornate carrion beetle must make a DC 12 Fortitude save or be sickened for one round, and any creature actually consuming this flesh must make a DC 20 Fortitude save or be nauseated for one minute. Creatures that receive a saving throw bonus against poison add that bonus to their save, and creatures immune to poison are immune to the ornate carrion beetle’s pungent chemicals.
PAPILO
Papilo is a close relative of the sepulcro fish. In the papilo, elaborate fins are used by the males in elegant courtship dances. The fins are also used to stir up muck from the bottom of rivers to use as camouflage. Papilos eat mainly invertebrates, such as freshwater crabs and lobsters, as well as neopedes. Use the statistics of a sepulcro, except a papilo can swallow only Tiny or smaller creatures due to its smaller jaw.
SCORPIOPEDES
Skull Island is home to many bizarre centipede-like animals. Among them are the scorpiopedes, the most common. They resemble a heavily modified centipede, the first two limbs becoming spike-like protrusions, and the tail arching over the back to reveal a dual stinger. Scorpiopedes are herbivorous, feeding on algae, but are still capable of vigorously defending themselves with claws and a venomous sting. Use the statistics for Tiny or Small monstrous scorpions, removing the improved grab and constrict special attacks and giving them Ability Focus (poison) as a bonus feat.
SKINBIRD
A relative of flying rats such as howler bats and terapusmordax, skinbirds are poor fliers, relying more on thermal currents to glide in the mountains where they live. Carnivorous, they prey on lizards, baby dinosaurs, and other small terrestrial animals. Advance a howler bat to 3 HD and Small size, and reduce its maneuverability to poor.
SKULL ISLAND BLUE HAWK
One of the largest predatory birds of Skull Islands, these canopy predators prey on flizards, birds, giant centipedes and burglar monkeys. Use the statistics for eagles, but advance them to 3 Hit Dice and reduce their fly speed to 60 ft.
SKULL ISLAND SNAPPING TURTLE
The Skull Island snapping turtle is a strange predatory tortoise that has returned to the water. It is an ambush hunter, preying on wading birds or fish. Use the statistics for snapping turtles (Stormwrack, page 168). If you don’t have access to Stormwrack, use the statistics for a dirt turtle, advancing it to Small size and 2 Hit Dice and removing the immunity to disease quality.
STICKALITHUS
A giant hunting spider, stickalithus prefers to prey on dinosaurs and flightless birds. They cannot weave very sturdy webs, instead camouflaging themselves as branches to strike from ambush. Use the statistics for Large monstrous hunting spiders, but give it a +8 racial bonus to Hide checks made in forest environments.
STINK-FISH
A slow-moving herbivorous carp-like animal, the stink-fish protects itself with an intensely foul secretion. Use the statistics for a squid, reducing it to Small size (with the changes in ability scores this entails), removing the arms attack, reducing bite damage to 1d2 and removing the jet special quality, but the ink cloud also nauseates any creature caught in it for 1d6 rounds unless the creature passes a DC 15 Fortitude save (the stink-fish gains a +4 racial bonus to the DC). Creatures resistant to poison gain their resistance bonus to the save, and creatures immune to poison are likewise immune to the stink-fish’s noxious cloud.
TOOTHED PROFANORNIS
A larger relative of the more common crested profanornis, the toothed profanornis, prefers marshes and grows to six feet at the hip. It is so called because its beak is filled with serrated tooth-like structures, allowing it a better grip on the frogs and fishes it eats in addition to carrion. Advance the crested profanornis to 4 Hit Dice and Large size, and give its bite attack also carries disease. A toothed profanornis can advance to up to 6 Hit Dice.
VOLUCERICTUS
Flying rat-like animals, volucerictus are canny nocturnal predators of the plains. They are distantly related to terapusmordax. Viciously territorial, combats between males occupying the same territory often end in death. Use the statistics for a howler bat.
VULTURSAURUS
Strange evolutionary offshoots, vultursaurs are not pterosaurs, the animals they most resemble, but a second lineage of flying dinosaurs (the first, of course, being birds). They hunt for insects above the abysses that cross Skull Island. Use the statistics for owls, but replace the talon attack with a bite attack (that deals the same damage) and reduce their fly speed to 30 feet.
ZEROPTERYX
A closely related species to brutornis, they resemble their cousins, although smaller and with a hooked beak. The zeropteryx do not compete with brutornis for food – zeropteryx are hit and run predators that specialize in ambushing juvenile ligocristuses. Use the statistics for a brutornis, but replace the racial Spot bonus for a racial Hide bonus, and replace the sprint special quality with Spring Attack as a bonus feat.
Copyright 2006 Nicholas Herold. The World of Kong is copyright 2005 Weta Workshop.
Demiurge out.
