Converting prehistoric creatures

Shade · Oct 18, 2010

I don't mind dropping augmented critical. It was just an attempt to make 'em different.

Why use "horns" rather than "gore"?!?!

The latter is a game term with common usage and is easily relatable to damage type for DMs? It drives me a bit nuts when creatures vary from the standard attack routines without explanation. :rant:

Cleon · Oct 19, 2010

Shade said:
I don't mind dropping augmented critical. It was just an attempt to make 'em different.

Why use "horns" rather than "gore"?!?! The latter is a game term with common usage and is easily relatable to damage type for DMs? It drives me a bit nuts when creatures vary from the standard attack routines without explanation.

Feel free to change it to gore if it will help avert nuttiness.

I just prefer the specificity of "horns" to "gore", it makes it clear what the animal is actually using to do the damage.

Although taxonomically speaking I should have used "antlers".

Shade · Oct 19, 2010

Added to Homebrews.

Let's drop the "dire" from the name, and maybe allow a bit of Advancement.

CR 3 seems apt, especially without augmented critical.

That just leaves weight and tactics, methinks.

Cleon · Oct 20, 2010

Shade said:
Added to Homebrews.

Let's drop the "dire" from the name, and maybe allow a bit of Advancement.

I'd rather keep the dire, since the 5HD version is larger and tougher than a Eucladoceros actually was, being about 7 feet at the shoulder and 10 feet long instead of 5 1/2 to 6 feet tall and about 8 feet long like a real Eucladoceros.

Shade said:
CR 3 seems apt, especially without augmented critical.

That just leaves weight and tactics, methinks.

At 7 feet tall they're the size of a big elk, so they ought to weigh the same: 1000 to 1400 pounds. Say about 1200 pounds on average?

A dire Eucladoceros prefers to flee threats, but will fight fiercely when backed into a corner or if its young or mate is threatened. Eucladoceros often charge opponents with their antlers.

Oh, and I notice it's got "Eucladoceri" in the skills description.

The plural of Eucladoceros should be either Eucladoceros or Eucladoceroses. Take your pick, but I prefer the former.

Shade · Oct 22, 2010

It seems odd to tack a "dire" onto a prehistoric creature name.

How about "Dire Brush-Antlered Deer", then? We can mention its proper name in the description.

And of course, we'll no longer have need of the "Dire" SQ.

Cleon · Oct 23, 2010

Shade said:
It seems odd to tack a "dire" onto a prehistoric creature name.

How about "Dire Brush-Antlered Deer", then? We can mention its proper name in the description.

And of course, we'll no longer have need of the "Dire" SQ.

Well since this is based on the Giant Stag we could just call it a "Dire Stag" and use your 3HD version for a "regular" Eucladoceros, with a note that there's a dire version of the Eucladoceros that uses Dire Stag stats.

Hmm, but if we call it a Dire Stag does that mean we need to do a Dire Hind as well for the female of the species? :-S

freyar · Oct 25, 2010

Yoik, this naming is just getting too complicated! I'm staying out of this!

Shade · Oct 25, 2010

Updated (and renamed) giant stag and added Eucladoceros based on my earlier conversion, as Cleon suggested.

Cleon · Oct 26, 2010

Shade said:
Updated (and renamed) giant stag and added Eucladoceros based on my earlier conversion, as Cleon suggested.

The Eucladoceros needs a few tweaks.

Were'nt we removing the Dire from it, thus changing the Will save to +2?

It should have "Larger versions of eucladoceros are known to exist, and use the dire stag statistics.", not "giant stag".

The skills have a "Dire Stag" which should be a "eucladoceros".

The first paragraph of the Dire Stag could do with some tweaking, how about:

Dire Stags are giant deer, often with a prehistoric appearance. They are often oversized versions of eucladoceros, the "bush-antlered deer", named after the bush-like array of spikes on its enormous antlers.

Also, if its "over 10 feet" and "at least 7 feet" I'd suggest adding an "or more" after the weight, since the 1,200 pounds was based on those dimensions and you're implying it's often bigger.

A dire stag is over 10 feet long, stands at least 7 feet tall at the shoulder, and sports a rack of antlers 6 feet wide. It weighs 1,200 pounds or more.

Shade · Oct 27, 2010

Cleon said:
Were'nt we removing the Dire from it, thus changing the Will save to +2?

No, I just meant that the "Dire" SQ is redundant with a dire creature. In other words, if it says "Dire" in its name, it is assumed to have the good Will saves. The standard eucladoceros, IMHO, should still get the dire trait, but isn't called "Dire Eucladoceros".

I'll fix all the rest.