Hi guys. I made this mostly by comparing various WotC animals & dire animals against one another. I need to know if the "laugh" special attack seems reasonable as an extraordinary ability for an animal, or whether it should be made more powerful / less powerful / scrapped altogether. Any other advice would be great as well.
Dire Hyena
Large Animal
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Hit Dice: 5d8+15 (37 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, 12 flat-footed
Base Attack / Grapple: +3 / +13
Attack: Bite +8 melee (2D6+9)
Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (2D6+9)
Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Trip, laugh
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: Hide +0*, Listen +8, Spot +6
Feats: Alertness, Improved Natural Attack (bite)
Environment: Warm plains and deserts
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (5-8)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always nuetral
Advancement: 6-15 HD (Large)
As large as a modern lion, dire hyenas behave much like thier smaller kin. They are largely scavengers but won't pass up an opportunity to use thier bone splintering jaws on prey that is weak, sickly or careless. In packs, they enjoy chasing lone predators away from thier kills. A typical dire hyena has a dark gray muzzle and a grayish coat dappled with darker spots. A broad, reddish grey stripe of bristly fur runs down the back in fully grown specimens.
Combat
Trip (Ex): A dire hyena that hits with its bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+10 check modifier) without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attack fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the dire hyena.
Laugh (Ex): When excited, a pack of dire hyenas begins to emit a loud and continuous chatter of unnerving calls that causes creatures within a 30 foot spread to become shaken for 2D4 rounds unless they make a DC 12 Will save. It takes a pack of 5 or more dire hyenas working together to create this effect. A listener whose number of hit dice equals or exceeds that of the largest pack member is automatically immune. Each additional pack member beyond the fifth adds one to the largest member's hit dice for purposes of this determination.
This is a sonic, mind-effecting fear effect, and invoking it is a free action on the part of the pack. Anyone who succeeds in thier Will save is immune to dire hyena laughter for 24 hours. The fear effect ends immediately if the hyenas are somehow silenced.
Skills: *Dire hyenas have a +4 racial bonus on hide checks in areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth.
Dire Hyena
Large Animal
------------------------
Hit Dice: 5d8+15 (37 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +3 natural), touch 11, 12 flat-footed
Base Attack / Grapple: +3 / +13
Attack: Bite +8 melee (2D6+9)
Full Attack: Bite +8 melee (2D6+9)
Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Trip, laugh
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 7
Skills: Hide +0*, Listen +8, Spot +6
Feats: Alertness, Improved Natural Attack (bite)
Environment: Warm plains and deserts
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pack (5-8)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always nuetral
Advancement: 6-15 HD (Large)
As large as a modern lion, dire hyenas behave much like thier smaller kin. They are largely scavengers but won't pass up an opportunity to use thier bone splintering jaws on prey that is weak, sickly or careless. In packs, they enjoy chasing lone predators away from thier kills. A typical dire hyena has a dark gray muzzle and a grayish coat dappled with darker spots. A broad, reddish grey stripe of bristly fur runs down the back in fully grown specimens.
Combat
Trip (Ex): A dire hyena that hits with its bite attack can attempt to trip the opponent (+10 check modifier) without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of opportunity. If the attack fails, the opponent cannot react to trip the dire hyena.
Laugh (Ex): When excited, a pack of dire hyenas begins to emit a loud and continuous chatter of unnerving calls that causes creatures within a 30 foot spread to become shaken for 2D4 rounds unless they make a DC 12 Will save. It takes a pack of 5 or more dire hyenas working together to create this effect. A listener whose number of hit dice equals or exceeds that of the largest pack member is automatically immune. Each additional pack member beyond the fifth adds one to the largest member's hit dice for purposes of this determination.
This is a sonic, mind-effecting fear effect, and invoking it is a free action on the part of the pack. Anyone who succeeds in thier Will save is immune to dire hyena laughter for 24 hours. The fear effect ends immediately if the hyenas are somehow silenced.
Skills: *Dire hyenas have a +4 racial bonus on hide checks in areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth.
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