Converting prehistoric creatures

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

I think I'm starting to side with Cleon. If a real Titanoboa is 40ft long, then it shouldn't have more hit dice than a purple worm twice its size.

However, looking back at the Monster Manual II, the 40-foot-long fiendwurm is listed as Gargantuan, so I still feel that Gargantuan is the correct size category. I could see a 18-HD Gargantuan titanoboa with slightly more modest ability scores.

That aside, I still like our stat block and I think we should do something with it.

 

[demiurge1138]

From what I hear, the Pathfinder Bestiary is going to be balancing dire animals and dinosaurs. Which pleases me to no end.

Let's stick to "giant titanoboa". I don't think we need to boost its ability scores that much, although we certainly could.

 

[Cleon]

I think I'm starting to side with Cleon. If a real Titanoboa is 40ft long, then it shouldn't have more hit dice than a purple worm twice its size.

However, looking back at the Monster Manual II, the 40-foot-long fiendwurm is listed as Gargantuan, so I still feel that Gargantuan is the correct size category. I could see a 18-HD Gargantuan titanoboa with slightly more modest ability scores.

That aside, I still like our stat block and I think we should do something with it.

Bear in mind that 3E D&D monster lengths typically do not include the tail, being "nose to backside" for quadrupeds or "crown to feet" for bipeds. That fiendwurm's length may not include its tail (assuming it has one), while a purple worm's 80' length is probably from nose to tail-stinger.

Another argument is one of weight - a Titanoboa is not an unnaturally lightweight creature like an air elemental, and is estimated to weigh some 2500 lbs. A 2500 pound Gargantuan animal is, well, problematic.

Besides which, it makes little difference what value for length and weight we stick on as far as the game mechanics are concerned, I just feel "Giant Titanoboa" or "Titanic Constrictor Snake" makes better sense as a name.

 

[Shade]

Alright, I bow to the majority.

Updated.

CR 9-10?

 

[Cleon]

Alright, I bow to the majority.

Updated.

CR 9-10?

Well it would be CR10 (and a third) going by the advancement rule applied to a giant constrictor (+1CR per 3HD plus +1CR for the size increase).

How about comparing it to a CR12 Purple Worm? It's got similar AC and primary attack, better Ref and Will saves and Epic Hide, but loses out by not having tremorsense, poison or a burrowing speed, all useful tricks.

So I'd guess CR11, since it doesn't have a purple worm's useful special abilities, but is about equal strong physically. Plus, adding natural armour boost and swallow whole is probably worth another CR bump from a standard giant constrictor advanced to 25HD.

Oh, and your Updated stats should have 30 hp fewer because we swapped out the Epic Toughness feat. I'm afraid I forgot to allow for that in my listed changes.

Hit Dice: 25d8+75 (187 hp)

 

[Shade]

Good catch on the hp.

Updated.

Suggested tactics text?

 

[Cleon]

Suggested tactics text?

Hmm...

Lurk. Bite. Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

That's about it for tactics, we may want a slightly more sophisticated wording.

 

[Cleon]

Okay, here's a more sensible version:

Giant titanoboas are ambush predators, being too slow to chase most prey. They lie in wait in water sources or alongside game trails until a prospective meal wanders by, then try to seize it in their jaws.

If offered a selection of prey, a giant titanoboa will attack the largest of them, since this represents the biggest meal. If the target's too big for its swallow whole attack, the snake uses its constrict attack. When facing a group of prey small enough to swallow whole, the giant titanoboa uses its Cleave and Combat Reflexes feats to try gulping down as many of them as it can before.

A giant titanoboa can swallow an entire creature one size category smaller than itself, but this is a slow process requiring many minutes of time and a non-resisting meal, not an action it can make in combat like its swallow whole attack.

A giant titanoboa will retreat if seriously damaged, releasing any prey in its coils and possibly regurgitating swallowed victims if they continue to injure it. They usually flee into the closest water and dive to the bottom.
​

It's occurred to me we should increase the size limit of its Swallow Whole attack, since constrictor snakes can eat bigger meals than that. Should we bump the purple worm's swallowing limit up a size step to 2 Huge / 8 Large / 64 Medium et cetera?

EDIT: Upon reflection I prefer half that limit (1 Huge / 4 Large / 16 Medium et cetera). I've read the biggest anacondas (Huge) can swallow a smallish horse or cow (Large), and a big rock python (Large) a gazelle or human (Medium), but I doubt they could eat two of them.

 

[Shade]

Looks good.

Updated.

Finished?

 

[InsanePsychoRabbit]

Better flavor text.

The massive constrictor snake emerging from the swamp water is so long it almost seems to be endless.

Giant titanoboas are enormous constrictor snakes found in primeval jungles untouched by the passage of time. Though they resemble modern-day anacondas, they have a primordial character to them, mostly afforded by their incredible size. A capybara, a large meal for an anaconda, would be little more than a light snack to a giant titanoboa: these creatures routinely prey upon dire animals.