Converting "Real World" Animals and Vermin

[Shade]

Updated.

 

[freyar]

Well, they're a lot like the whales but not as good. CR 4, 5 at most.

 

[Cleon]

Well, they're a lot like the whales but not as good. CR 4, 5 at most.

I'd go CR 5. They're pretty close to an Orca statwise.

How about increasing the natural armour? Carp have pretty sturdy scales. A +8 natural armour might be more appropriate.

 

[Shade]

Let's go with the greater natural armor to help justify that CR 5.

Updated.

A giant carp is 20 or more feet long and weighs at least x pounds.

 

[freyar]

Well, a female orca (in real life) is about that length and 3 to 4 tons, so how about saying 3.5 tons?

 

[Shade]

It works for me. Cleon?

 

[Cleon]

It works for me. Cleon?

Hmm.

A bit of googling found a Fresh Water Fish Weight Estimator which gives a weight around 4000 pounds for a 20 foot carp.

A big carp is up to 4 feet long and weighs 30 pounds or more, multiply that by 125 and you get 3750 pounds - call it 4000 pounds, the minimum standard weight for Huge creatures.

That seems rather low, but bear in mind that wild carp tend to be lot slimmer than the domestic variety (they haven't been fattened up, for a start) and there's a lot of variability in the weight.

For example, a really massive carp is 4+ feet and 80+ pounds, which extrapolates to about 10000 pounds for a 20-footer.

According to this thesis on Silver Carp hatcheries, an average silver carp is 48.2cm long and weighs 1.6 kg. That's equivalent to a 7000 pound 20-foot carp. Alternatively, we could base the weights on a Koi. A 3 foot Koi is about 30 pounds, which would make a 20 foot one about 8,500 pounds.

Both the previous examples are probably a lot plumper than a wild carp would be, though.

So, 7000 pounds seems within reasonable bounds for a 20 foot carp, depending on how stocky it is, but so would 4000+ or 5000+ pounds.

I'll leave it to you two to decide.

EDIT: Frankly, anywhere between 4000 and 10000 pounds would suit me.

 

[Shade]

EDIT: Frankly, anywhere between 4000 and 10000 pounds would suit me.

Let's just go with that.

Updated. Finished?

 

[Cleon]

Let's just go with that.

My estimated weights were for a 20 foot carp, not one "20 or more feet long".

I prefer "Most giant carp are 20 to 30 feet long and weigh between 4,000 and 30,000 pounds, but they can grow even bigger than that." That keeps the original's 20-30' range.

Updated. Finished?

Nope.

You didn't think I'd miss the fact its Swallow Whole has an awful lot of x's did you?

Swallow Whole (Ex): A giant carp can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of a smaller size than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes xdx+x points of crushing damage plus x points of acid damage per round from the carp's gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal x points of damage to the gizzard (AC 13). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Huge carp's interior can hold x Large, x Medium, x Small, x Tiny, or x Diminutive or smaller opponents.

The MC6 Giant Carp had 8-12 HD and could swallow victims up to the size of a dog (for an 8HD Carp) to an oni (for a 12 HD Carp).

In 3E terms that's a "Max Swallow Size" from from Small to Large. I suggest reducing the Swallow Whole to 2 sizes smaller than itself and allowing it to advance a size.

Revising...

Advancement: 9-15 (Huge); 16-24 HD (Gargantuan)

Swallow Whole (Ex): A giant carp can try to swallow a grabbed opponent up to 2 size categories smaller than itself by making a successful grapple check. Once inside, the opponent takes 2d8+9 points of crushing damage plus 8 points of acid damage per round from the carp's gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 25 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 14). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A Huge carp's interior can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.
​

Finally, the "no evidence of flying carp" bit of In Kara-Tur doesn't make much sense, since there's no earlier mention of flying carp (it's the same in the original text). I suggest changing it to:

Some primitive tribes believe a mystic link exists between particular species of fish, such as giant carp, and particular species of birds, such as peacocks and ravens, since both types of creatures lay eggs and both are associated with foretelling the future. These tribes believe that during certain times of the year, giant carp acquire the ability to fly and breathe air. Though these rumors persist, no evidence of flying carp has been verified.​

 

[Shade]

You didn't think I'd miss the fact its Swallow Whole has an awful lot of x's did you?

Actually, I didn't think I would miss them.

That's why we keep you on the virtual payroll.

Everything else you suggested looks good.

Updated.