Converting Oriental Adventures creatures
Shade
Monster Junkie
By long-overdue request...
Gargantua, Reptilian
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 18"//12"
HIT DICE: 50
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-30/3-30/6-60
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT Chaotic neutral
SIZE: L (100'-200')
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/XP VALUE: Level X (all)/22,600 + 35/hp
Reptilian Gargantua: These creatures are gigantic, often bipedal, reptiles. Their size is truly magnificent, towering above all other creatures. Although unable to speak, these creatures possess a simple empathy and can sense the emotions and desires of other creatures. In combat, they attack with their front claws and their bite. If moving upright they are able to trample for 10d10 points of damage. Finally, they sweep the ground behind them with their tail, 90 feet to either side. Any creature in this area of effect must make a successful saving throw vs. death or suffer 8d10 points of damage.
Reptilian gargantua are found most often on tropical islands, far out at sea. Since they can swim, this does not serve to isolate them from the rest of the
world.
Fortunately, gargantua are rare and seldom bother humans. When they do appear, their arrival is often treated as a national (or at least regional) emergency and every resource is mobilized to ensure their riddance.
Originally appeared in Oriental Adventures (1985).
Here's the MC Kara-Tur/Monstrous Manual version...
Gargantua, Reptilian
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Tropical and subtropical islands
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary or mated pair
ACTIVE TIME: Night
DIET: Special
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVEMENT: 18, Sw 12
HIT DICE: 50
THAC0: 5
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-30/3-30/6-60
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: G (100'-200' tall)
MORALE: Elite (14)
XP VALUE: 43,000
Gargantua are truly monstrous species, both in size and ferocity. Whether they are throwbacks to another age, aberrations of natural processes, or results of crazed magical experiments is unknown.
Gargantua appear in many different forms, but most resemble gigantic humanoids, insects, and reptiles. Of these three types, the most common is also the largest and most dangerous: the reptilian gargantua.
The reptilian gargantua is so immense that it dwarfs virtually all of the world's creatures. Some reptilian gargantua move on all fours. Most, however, are bipedal, supported by two massive legs rivaling the width of the largest tree trunks. The creature's body is thick and bulky. Rocky scales -- usually dark green with black accents -- cover it from head to toe. Its smooth belly is a lighter shade of green. Certain rare types have mottled scales in shades of brown, gray, and yellow.
Its hands are almost human, though each of its four, long fingers ends in a hooked claw. Its feet are flat and broad, with webbed toes. The toes also end in hooked claws, but they're shorter and thicker than those on its fingers. A bony ridge stretches from the base of its neck, down along its spine, and extending the length of its immense tail.
The head of the reptilian gargantua is somewhat small in proportion to its body. It has two glaring eyes, usually gold or bright red. Its nostrils are flush with its head, and its ears are twin triangular projections resembling tiny wings. Its mouth is a wide slash that nearly bisects its entire head and is lined with rows of long fangs.
The reptilian gargantua cannot speak, but it emits deafening roars that sound like the trumpeting of a bull elephant amplified a thousandfold. It can breathe both air and water.
Combat: Although it has some degree of intelligence, the actions of the reptilian gargantua -- along with the actions of most gargantua -- are those of mindless brutes bent on destruction for destruction's sake. It attacks with sweeping rakes of its front claws and lunging bites from its powerful jaws. If moving upright, it can trample victims for 10-100 (10d10) hit points of damage. It continually sweeps the ground it with its massive tail, swinging 90 feet behind it and to each side. Any creature within range of the tail must make a successful saving throw vs. death or suffer 8-80 (8d10) hit points of damage.
A rampaging reptilian gargantua is all but oblivious to its surroundings, crushing everything -- and everyone -- in its path. The ground trembles under its weight when it walks. Since quaking earth always foreshadows its appearance, it never can surprise its prey. When swimming, a reptilian gargantua is similarly handicapped, as its appearance is always preceded by swirling waters or crashing waves. Additionally, its immense size makes it easy to spot from a distance. Furthermore, the squealing roars that accompany its every action make it virtually impossible to ignore.
The reptilian gargantua's tough hide gives it an Armor Class of 2, forming a strong defense against most physical attacks. When it does suffer damage, the creature can regenerate 4 hit points per round.
Fortunately, reptilian gargantua seldom bother humans. But their memories are long, and their appetite for revenge is nearly limitless. Humans who attack reptilian gargantua, disturb their lairs, or otherwise provoke the creatures will find themselves relentlessly pursued -- even it means the gargantua must cross thousands of miles of ocean. This creature's hunger for revenge is seldom satisfied until it has thoroughly ravaged its attackers' villages. Sometimes, entire provinces will be laid to ruin.
The surest way to provoke the wrath of a reptilian gargantua is to threaten its offspring. Adult gargantua have remarkable mental bonds with their young, enabling them to locate their young with pinpoint accuracy at an unlimited range.
In spite of their reputation as mindless destroyers, reptilian gargantua actually possess a simple empathy that enables them to sense the emotions and desires of others, albeit on a primitive level. They seem to instinctively know which creatures bear them ill will, and direct their attacks accordingly.
Habitat/Society: A few reptilian guargantua make their home on the floors of subtropical oceans. Most, however, live on remote tropical islands, far from civilized lands. Such islands are scattered throughout the oceans of Kara-Tur, with most of them uncharted. The most notable exception is the Isle of Gargantua, one of the Outer Isles off the southwestern tip of Wa. This island is inhabited entirely by gargantua of various types.
Explorers in the arctic regions of Kara-Tur once found a maturing reptilian gargantua frozen in a block of ice. The explorers built a massive sled to haul their discovery back to civilization. The ice began to thaw en route, reviving the creature. The gargantua shattered the melting ice block, crushed his captors, and lumbered into the mountains.
Any grotto or cave that provides shelter, privacy, and sufficient room to house a reptilian gargantua can serve as its lair. Fiercely territorial, a reptilian gargantua and its family usually claim an area of several square miles as their personal property, defending it against any and all intruders. Since their eyes are sensitive to bright light, the creatures spend most of the day sleeping in their lairs, becoming active at night to search for food and patrol their territory. Their thunderous roars make their presence known to all. Reptilian gargantua do not collect treasure or any other items.
Reptilian gargantua live several hundred years. They choose mates within a few years of reaching maturity, and remain with them for the rest of their lives. A female reptilian gargantua gives birth to a single offspring once per century. The birth of a reptilian gargantua is marked by shattering thunderstorms that rock the skies over the territory of its parents for 101 days.
An immature reptilian gargantua stands about 20-40 feet tall. It also has 10 HD (THAC0 11) and a movement rate of 12 (Sw 9). A youngling's claws inflict 1-10 hit points of damage each, and its bite inflicts 2-24 (2d12) hit points of damage. Its tail -- not nearly as formidable as an adult's -- sweeps the ground in an arch reaching 20 feet behind and to both sides, inflicting 3-18 (3d6) points of damage to all victims who fail their save vs. death.
Ecology: The reptilian gargantua is an omnivore. It primarily eats plants, swallowing whole trees in a single gulp. But it also enjoys living prey of all varieties. It can even dine on minerals, gems, and other inorganic substances in times of scarce vegetation and game.
Reptilian gargantua shun the company of other creatures. They especially dislike other types of gargantua, which sometimes compete with their reptilian cousins for the same territory.
Reptilian gargantua have two properties useful to humans:
The petal of any flower that grows in the footprint of a reptilian gargantua can serve as a component for a potion of growth. Such a flower must grow naturally in the footprint; it cannot have been planted there by a human or other intelligent being.
As noted above, thunderstorms occur when a reptilian gargantua is born. If a dead creature of any kind is struck by a lightning bolt from such a storm, the bolt acts as resurrection spell.
Gargantua, Reptilian
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 18"//12"
HIT DICE: 50
% IN LAIR: Nil
TREASURE TYPE: Nil
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-30/3-30/6-60
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Low
ALIGNMENT Chaotic neutral
SIZE: L (100'-200')
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
LEVEL/XP VALUE: Level X (all)/22,600 + 35/hp
Reptilian Gargantua: These creatures are gigantic, often bipedal, reptiles. Their size is truly magnificent, towering above all other creatures. Although unable to speak, these creatures possess a simple empathy and can sense the emotions and desires of other creatures. In combat, they attack with their front claws and their bite. If moving upright they are able to trample for 10d10 points of damage. Finally, they sweep the ground behind them with their tail, 90 feet to either side. Any creature in this area of effect must make a successful saving throw vs. death or suffer 8d10 points of damage.
Reptilian gargantua are found most often on tropical islands, far out at sea. Since they can swim, this does not serve to isolate them from the rest of the
world.
Fortunately, gargantua are rare and seldom bother humans. When they do appear, their arrival is often treated as a national (or at least regional) emergency and every resource is mobilized to ensure their riddance.
Originally appeared in Oriental Adventures (1985).
Here's the MC Kara-Tur/Monstrous Manual version...
Gargantua, Reptilian
CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Tropical and subtropical islands
FREQUENCY: Rare
ORGANIZATION: Solitary or mated pair
ACTIVE TIME: Night
DIET: Special
INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)
TREASURE: Nil
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral
NO. APPEARING: 1-2
ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVEMENT: 18, Sw 12
HIT DICE: 50
THAC0: 5
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 3-30/3-30/6-60
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Regeneration
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil
SIZE: G (100'-200' tall)
MORALE: Elite (14)
XP VALUE: 43,000
Gargantua are truly monstrous species, both in size and ferocity. Whether they are throwbacks to another age, aberrations of natural processes, or results of crazed magical experiments is unknown.
Gargantua appear in many different forms, but most resemble gigantic humanoids, insects, and reptiles. Of these three types, the most common is also the largest and most dangerous: the reptilian gargantua.
The reptilian gargantua is so immense that it dwarfs virtually all of the world's creatures. Some reptilian gargantua move on all fours. Most, however, are bipedal, supported by two massive legs rivaling the width of the largest tree trunks. The creature's body is thick and bulky. Rocky scales -- usually dark green with black accents -- cover it from head to toe. Its smooth belly is a lighter shade of green. Certain rare types have mottled scales in shades of brown, gray, and yellow.
Its hands are almost human, though each of its four, long fingers ends in a hooked claw. Its feet are flat and broad, with webbed toes. The toes also end in hooked claws, but they're shorter and thicker than those on its fingers. A bony ridge stretches from the base of its neck, down along its spine, and extending the length of its immense tail.
The head of the reptilian gargantua is somewhat small in proportion to its body. It has two glaring eyes, usually gold or bright red. Its nostrils are flush with its head, and its ears are twin triangular projections resembling tiny wings. Its mouth is a wide slash that nearly bisects its entire head and is lined with rows of long fangs.
The reptilian gargantua cannot speak, but it emits deafening roars that sound like the trumpeting of a bull elephant amplified a thousandfold. It can breathe both air and water.
Combat: Although it has some degree of intelligence, the actions of the reptilian gargantua -- along with the actions of most gargantua -- are those of mindless brutes bent on destruction for destruction's sake. It attacks with sweeping rakes of its front claws and lunging bites from its powerful jaws. If moving upright, it can trample victims for 10-100 (10d10) hit points of damage. It continually sweeps the ground it with its massive tail, swinging 90 feet behind it and to each side. Any creature within range of the tail must make a successful saving throw vs. death or suffer 8-80 (8d10) hit points of damage.
A rampaging reptilian gargantua is all but oblivious to its surroundings, crushing everything -- and everyone -- in its path. The ground trembles under its weight when it walks. Since quaking earth always foreshadows its appearance, it never can surprise its prey. When swimming, a reptilian gargantua is similarly handicapped, as its appearance is always preceded by swirling waters or crashing waves. Additionally, its immense size makes it easy to spot from a distance. Furthermore, the squealing roars that accompany its every action make it virtually impossible to ignore.
The reptilian gargantua's tough hide gives it an Armor Class of 2, forming a strong defense against most physical attacks. When it does suffer damage, the creature can regenerate 4 hit points per round.
Fortunately, reptilian gargantua seldom bother humans. But their memories are long, and their appetite for revenge is nearly limitless. Humans who attack reptilian gargantua, disturb their lairs, or otherwise provoke the creatures will find themselves relentlessly pursued -- even it means the gargantua must cross thousands of miles of ocean. This creature's hunger for revenge is seldom satisfied until it has thoroughly ravaged its attackers' villages. Sometimes, entire provinces will be laid to ruin.
The surest way to provoke the wrath of a reptilian gargantua is to threaten its offspring. Adult gargantua have remarkable mental bonds with their young, enabling them to locate their young with pinpoint accuracy at an unlimited range.
In spite of their reputation as mindless destroyers, reptilian gargantua actually possess a simple empathy that enables them to sense the emotions and desires of others, albeit on a primitive level. They seem to instinctively know which creatures bear them ill will, and direct their attacks accordingly.
Habitat/Society: A few reptilian guargantua make their home on the floors of subtropical oceans. Most, however, live on remote tropical islands, far from civilized lands. Such islands are scattered throughout the oceans of Kara-Tur, with most of them uncharted. The most notable exception is the Isle of Gargantua, one of the Outer Isles off the southwestern tip of Wa. This island is inhabited entirely by gargantua of various types.
Explorers in the arctic regions of Kara-Tur once found a maturing reptilian gargantua frozen in a block of ice. The explorers built a massive sled to haul their discovery back to civilization. The ice began to thaw en route, reviving the creature. The gargantua shattered the melting ice block, crushed his captors, and lumbered into the mountains.
Any grotto or cave that provides shelter, privacy, and sufficient room to house a reptilian gargantua can serve as its lair. Fiercely territorial, a reptilian gargantua and its family usually claim an area of several square miles as their personal property, defending it against any and all intruders. Since their eyes are sensitive to bright light, the creatures spend most of the day sleeping in their lairs, becoming active at night to search for food and patrol their territory. Their thunderous roars make their presence known to all. Reptilian gargantua do not collect treasure or any other items.
Reptilian gargantua live several hundred years. They choose mates within a few years of reaching maturity, and remain with them for the rest of their lives. A female reptilian gargantua gives birth to a single offspring once per century. The birth of a reptilian gargantua is marked by shattering thunderstorms that rock the skies over the territory of its parents for 101 days.
An immature reptilian gargantua stands about 20-40 feet tall. It also has 10 HD (THAC0 11) and a movement rate of 12 (Sw 9). A youngling's claws inflict 1-10 hit points of damage each, and its bite inflicts 2-24 (2d12) hit points of damage. Its tail -- not nearly as formidable as an adult's -- sweeps the ground in an arch reaching 20 feet behind and to both sides, inflicting 3-18 (3d6) points of damage to all victims who fail their save vs. death.
Ecology: The reptilian gargantua is an omnivore. It primarily eats plants, swallowing whole trees in a single gulp. But it also enjoys living prey of all varieties. It can even dine on minerals, gems, and other inorganic substances in times of scarce vegetation and game.
Reptilian gargantua shun the company of other creatures. They especially dislike other types of gargantua, which sometimes compete with their reptilian cousins for the same territory.
Reptilian gargantua have two properties useful to humans:
The petal of any flower that grows in the footprint of a reptilian gargantua can serve as a component for a potion of growth. Such a flower must grow naturally in the footprint; it cannot have been planted there by a human or other intelligent being.
As noted above, thunderstorms occur when a reptilian gargantua is born. If a dead creature of any kind is struck by a lightning bolt from such a storm, the bolt acts as resurrection spell.
Cleon
Legend
Up from the depths
Twenty stories tall
Head in the clouds
Gargantua! Gargantua!!
and Garganteeeneeee...
Colossal Animal, Magical Beast or Dragon?
50 ft/40 ft Space/Reach like the Devastation Vermin in the Epic SRD?
Maybe increase the HD, since those Epic Vermin have 128 HD?
Claw/Claw/Bite plus Trample and a dragon's Tail Slap and Tail Sweep.
I'm tempted to give it a tarrasque's regeneration.
Twenty stories tall
Head in the clouds
Gargantua! Gargantua!!
and Garganteeeneeee...
Colossal Animal, Magical Beast or Dragon?
50 ft/40 ft Space/Reach like the Devastation Vermin in the Epic SRD?
Maybe increase the HD, since those Epic Vermin have 128 HD?
Claw/Claw/Bite plus Trample and a dragon's Tail Slap and Tail Sweep.
I'm tempted to give it a tarrasque's regeneration.
GrayLinnorm
Explorer
Up from the depths
Twenty stories tall
Head in the clouds
Gargantua! Gargantua!!
and Garganteeeneeee...
Colossal Animal, Magical Beast or Dragon?
50 ft/40 ft Space/Reach like the Devastation Vermin in the Epic SRD?
Maybe increase the HD, since those Epic Vermin have 128 HD?
Claw/Claw/Bite plus Trample and a dragon's Tail Slap and Tail Sweep.
I'm tempted to give it a tarrasque's regeneration.
I didn't even think about dragon!
Definitely not Animal though; it has low intelligence for one thing.
Shade
Monster Junkie
My vote's for magical beast.
At least!
I'm not opposed to a bit of a boost, but not sure we need to go that high. The tarrasque isn't much smaller, and it has 48 HD.
Yes.
Shade
Monster Junkie
So...how about a 64 HD Colossal Magical Beast?
Tarrasque: Str 45, Dex 16, Con 35, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 14
Kaiju T-Rex: Str 48, Dex 12, Con 33, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 30
Kaiju Lizard: Str 47, Dex 7, Con 32, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 22
Kaiju Monitor Lizard: Str 53, Dex 11, Con 37, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 22
The original's Int is Low (5-7).
Perhaps Str 53, Dex 13, Con 37, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 22?
Tarrasque: Str 45, Dex 16, Con 35, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 14
Kaiju T-Rex: Str 48, Dex 12, Con 33, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 30
Kaiju Lizard: Str 47, Dex 7, Con 32, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 22
Kaiju Monitor Lizard: Str 53, Dex 11, Con 37, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 22
The original's Int is Low (5-7).
Perhaps Str 53, Dex 13, Con 37, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 22?
Cleon
Legend
I don't know what came over me to type in that Animal, I realized it was a mistake a few minutes after I did it.
Anyhow, Dragon was my favourite for the Reptilian Gargantua but you all seem to be against it, so I suppose it can be Magical Beast.
Before we get too far along with it, can we talk about what sort of power level we're aiming for?
Are we going for Challenge Rating 20 or so, like a Tarrasque, or CR25+ like most Epic Monsters?
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