Cleon
Legend
Actually, I didn't think I would miss them.
That's why we keep you on the virtual payroll.
Worth every virtual penny.
They look finished then.
-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin
- Thread starter Shade
- Start date
Worth every virtual penny.
They look finished then.
Cleon
Legend
Shade
Monster Junkie
Porcupine
Black Brown Giant
Climate/Terrain: Temperate/Forest Temperate/Forest Temperate/Forest
Frequency: Common Common Uncommon
Organization: Family Family Family
Activity Cycle: Night Night Night
Diet: Herbivore Herbivore Herbivore
Intelligence: Animal (1) Animal (1) Animal (1)
Treasure: Nil Nil Nil
Alignment: Nil Nil Nil
No. Appearing: 1-2 1-2 1-2
Armor Class: 6 6 5
Movement: 9, Cl 2 9, Cl 2 6
Hit Dice: ½ ½ 6
THAC0: 20 20 13
No. of Attacks: 1 1 1
Damage/Attack: 1-3 1-4 2-8
Special Attacks: Nil Nil Shoot quills
Special Defenses: Quills Quills Quills
Magic Resistance: Nil Nil Nil
Size: S (2½-3’ long) S (2’ long) L (7’ long)
Morale: Unreliable (2) Unreliable (2) Unsteady (7)
XP Value: 15 15 650
Porcupines are large rodents native to temperate forested areas. There are many species of porcupines that differ only in minor details. Porcupines are timid, panic-prone creatures with one very nasty defense mechanism – stiff, sharp hairs known as quills.
There are two distinct families of porcupine: black and brown. Brown porcupines are the smaller of the two, about two feet long, but with quills that grow up to one foot long. The black porcupine is between 2½ and three feet long with a thick muscular tail, but has shorter quills (three inches long). Porcupines weigh between 35 and 50 pounds.
Combat: Contrary to some popular legends, a common (black or brown) porcupine doesn’t throw its quills, but it can readily detach them when they strike an enemy. These herbivores do not attack unless they feel threatened, and even then only when they cannot safely run away. Porcupines smash an attacker with their tails, dislodging quills. Black porcupines inflict 1-3 points of damage with their barbed quills, while the longer quills of the brown porcupines cause 1d4 points of damage. Creatures that try to touch a porcupine automatically suffer damage from their quills. Because of their overlapping barbs, porcupine quills are extremely difficult to remove, and cause painful swelling.
Habitat/Society: Porcupines live in heavily wooded areas. They are excellent tree climbers. They are not anti-social creatures, but seem to prefer a mate and young for their only company.
Ecology: Porcupines feed on the bark and leaves of trees; their appetite has sometimes killed the trees on which they feed. They also feed on fruits and are especially fond of salt. Few creatures attack the porcupine. There are no known potions or spells that use porcupine components.
Giant Porcupine
Giant porcupines are larger versions of the common woodland porcupines. They are identical in appearance to their smaller cousins, the brown porcupines, except that the white streaks of their quills are more obvious. They inhabit wooded areas. They are stupid and nonaggressive, but can defend themselves.
A giant porcupine can bite for 2d4 points of damage, but uses this attack in only the most desperate defense (if it is brought down to less than half its hit points). Its main defense is its ability to shoot 1d8 quills from its tail, each of which inflicts 1d4 points of damage. This attack has a range of 30 feet. As its quills are up to three feet long, any attacker that comes within six feet of the giant porcupine receives 1d4 quills from the porcupine’s defensive movements. There are over 80 quills in its tail and over 300 in its body.
The giant porcupine views any approach within 30 feet as a threat. If a creature approaches it at that distance, it croucches in a defensive posture and issues a warning hiss, giving the creature one round to leave before it attacks. As with normal porcupines, there are no known uses for giant porcupine components.
Originally appeared in Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989).
Giant Porcupine originally appeared in Monster Manual (1977).
Black Brown Giant
Climate/Terrain: Temperate/Forest Temperate/Forest Temperate/Forest
Frequency: Common Common Uncommon
Organization: Family Family Family
Activity Cycle: Night Night Night
Diet: Herbivore Herbivore Herbivore
Intelligence: Animal (1) Animal (1) Animal (1)
Treasure: Nil Nil Nil
Alignment: Nil Nil Nil
No. Appearing: 1-2 1-2 1-2
Armor Class: 6 6 5
Movement: 9, Cl 2 9, Cl 2 6
Hit Dice: ½ ½ 6
THAC0: 20 20 13
No. of Attacks: 1 1 1
Damage/Attack: 1-3 1-4 2-8
Special Attacks: Nil Nil Shoot quills
Special Defenses: Quills Quills Quills
Magic Resistance: Nil Nil Nil
Size: S (2½-3’ long) S (2’ long) L (7’ long)
Morale: Unreliable (2) Unreliable (2) Unsteady (7)
XP Value: 15 15 650
Porcupines are large rodents native to temperate forested areas. There are many species of porcupines that differ only in minor details. Porcupines are timid, panic-prone creatures with one very nasty defense mechanism – stiff, sharp hairs known as quills.
There are two distinct families of porcupine: black and brown. Brown porcupines are the smaller of the two, about two feet long, but with quills that grow up to one foot long. The black porcupine is between 2½ and three feet long with a thick muscular tail, but has shorter quills (three inches long). Porcupines weigh between 35 and 50 pounds.
Combat: Contrary to some popular legends, a common (black or brown) porcupine doesn’t throw its quills, but it can readily detach them when they strike an enemy. These herbivores do not attack unless they feel threatened, and even then only when they cannot safely run away. Porcupines smash an attacker with their tails, dislodging quills. Black porcupines inflict 1-3 points of damage with their barbed quills, while the longer quills of the brown porcupines cause 1d4 points of damage. Creatures that try to touch a porcupine automatically suffer damage from their quills. Because of their overlapping barbs, porcupine quills are extremely difficult to remove, and cause painful swelling.
Habitat/Society: Porcupines live in heavily wooded areas. They are excellent tree climbers. They are not anti-social creatures, but seem to prefer a mate and young for their only company.
Ecology: Porcupines feed on the bark and leaves of trees; their appetite has sometimes killed the trees on which they feed. They also feed on fruits and are especially fond of salt. Few creatures attack the porcupine. There are no known potions or spells that use porcupine components.
Giant Porcupine
Giant porcupines are larger versions of the common woodland porcupines. They are identical in appearance to their smaller cousins, the brown porcupines, except that the white streaks of their quills are more obvious. They inhabit wooded areas. They are stupid and nonaggressive, but can defend themselves.
A giant porcupine can bite for 2d4 points of damage, but uses this attack in only the most desperate defense (if it is brought down to less than half its hit points). Its main defense is its ability to shoot 1d8 quills from its tail, each of which inflicts 1d4 points of damage. This attack has a range of 30 feet. As its quills are up to three feet long, any attacker that comes within six feet of the giant porcupine receives 1d4 quills from the porcupine’s defensive movements. There are over 80 quills in its tail and over 300 in its body.
The giant porcupine views any approach within 30 feet as a threat. If a creature approaches it at that distance, it croucches in a defensive posture and issues a warning hiss, giving the creature one round to leave before it attacks. As with normal porcupines, there are no known uses for giant porcupine components.
Originally appeared in Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989).
Giant Porcupine originally appeared in Monster Manual (1977).
Cleon
Legend
We might as well do the Brown and Black as a single creature since they're so similar.
If 3E can't be bothered to have separate entries for African and Indian elephants, I don't see why we need separate stats for the two smaller Porcupines.
Then we can just "Dire Beast" the regular animal for the Giant version.
If 3E can't be bothered to have separate entries for African and Indian elephants, I don't see why we need separate stats for the two smaller Porcupines.
Then we can just "Dire Beast" the regular animal for the Giant version.
Shade
Monster Junkie
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
Well, I'd essentially lift these two abilities:
Quills (Ex): Melee combat with a quillflinger is dangerous. Unless opponents are using weapons with at least 10-foot reach, the quillflinger strikes each melee opponent with 1d4 quills. If the opponent succeeds at a Reflex save (DC 16), the quills that strike do not break off in his or her flesh. A quill that lodges in the skin imposes a -1 circumstance penalty to attacks, saves, and checks. Removing a quill inflicts 1d6 points of additional damage to the victim.
Hunker Down (Ex): If the quillflinger is threatened in melee, and if it cannot retreat to a safe distance from its opponent(s), it curls its head and legs under its torso while on the ground and flares its quills in all directions. In this defensive position, the Reflex save DC required for melee attacks against it increases to 17.
Sound about right?
Quills (Ex): Melee combat with a quillflinger is dangerous. Unless opponents are using weapons with at least 10-foot reach, the quillflinger strikes each melee opponent with 1d4 quills. If the opponent succeeds at a Reflex save (DC 16), the quills that strike do not break off in his or her flesh. A quill that lodges in the skin imposes a -1 circumstance penalty to attacks, saves, and checks. Removing a quill inflicts 1d6 points of additional damage to the victim.
Hunker Down (Ex): If the quillflinger is threatened in melee, and if it cannot retreat to a safe distance from its opponent(s), it curls its head and legs under its torso while on the ground and flares its quills in all directions. In this defensive position, the Reflex save DC required for melee attacks against it increases to 17.
Sound about right?
Cleon
Legend
About right. I'd like a cap to the quill penalty (minus 4?) and give the "Hunker Down" more than a +1 bonus.
Also, shouldn't we allow a Heal check to avoid the damage when removing a quill?
Quills (Ex): Melee combat with a porcupine is dangerous. An opponent who attacks a porcupine with a melee weapon that does not have Reach must succeed at a DC X Reflex save or be struck by 1d4 quills. Each quill does 1 point of piercing damage and lodges in the opponent's flesh, imposing a -1 circumstance penalty to attacks, saves, and checks per quill (maximum -4 penalty). Removing a quill inflicts 1 point of additional damage to the victim unless a DC Z Heal check is made. The save DC is Constitution?-based.
Hunker Down (Ex): If a porcupine is threatened in melee and cannot retreat to a safe distance from its opponent(s), it curls its head and legs under its torso while on the ground and flares its quills in all directions. In this defensive position, the Reflex save DC of its quills special attack gains a +2 bonus (increasing it to X for a typical porcupine), but the porcupine's speed is reduced to Z ft. and it cannot charge or run.
Cleon
Legend
Porcupines don't roll up, that's hedgehogs.
A "hunkered down" porcupine can and does move, they usually do so to keep their quills pointed towards whatever creature(s) they see as a threat.
