Connor's Sorta Low CR Monster Thread- To be updated... eventually...

[ConnorSB]

Here's Traxus stats w/o levels in fighter or cleric. I haven't picked his feats or skills yet, as the fighter and cleric levels will need me to pick them anyway, so I might as well optimize then...

Traxus- Half-Red Dragon Tyrannosaurus
Huge Dragon
Hit Dice: 18d10+ 144 (243 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), Fly 40 ft. (Average)
Armor Class: 14 (–2 size, +1 Dex, +9 natural) touch 9, flat-footed 13
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+30
Attack: Bite + 26 melee (3d6+21)
Full Attack: Bite +26 melee (3d6+15) and 2 Claws +21 (2d8 + 7)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, swallow whole, Breath Weapon
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Darkvision 60ft, Scent, Immune to Fire
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +8
Abilities: Str 41, Dex 17, Con 26, Int 19, Wis 19, Cha 14
Skills: 6 skill points per level, Max ranks = 21, Class skills = hide, listen, spot.
Feats: 7 feats
Environment: Warm plains
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 19–36 HD (Huge); 37–54 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

NOTE: Physical stat roles: 15, 14, 13. Intelligence Roll (as awakening spell says to): 17. Charisma bonus (from awakening spell): +1. Inteligence boose from Half-Dragon template: +2. Bite is a Primary Attack. Claws are Secondary. As an NPC Monster, he gets 4 stat boosts (one every four hit dice), all of which go into wisdom.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tyrannosaurus must hit an opponent of up to one size smaller with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can try to swallow the foe the following round.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A tyrannosaurus can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of up to two sizes smaller by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes 2d8+8 points of bludgeoning damage and 8 points of acid damage per round from the tyrannosaurus’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 12). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.
A Huge tyrannosaurus’s gizzard can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Breath Weapon (Ex): Cone of Fire, 30 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, 30 ft. high. 6d10 fire damage to any in area. Reflex save DC 19 halves.

Immunities (Ex): Immune to all fire damage.

Skills: A tyrannosaurus has a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.

Despite its enormous size and 6-ton weight, a tyrannosaurus is a swift runner. Its head is nearly 6 feet long, and its teeth are from 3 to 6 inches in length. It is slightly more than 30 feet long from nose to tail.
Combat
A tyrannosaurus pursues and eats just about anything it sees. Its tactics are simple—charge in and bite.

Traxus is an especially unique T-Rex, as his mother was a Red Dragon. He therefore has unique stats- different feats, skills, and ability scores than his T-Rex compatriates. Plus, he is hardcore.

 

[Golem2176]

Golem2176: Ohh.. nice one. I kinda try to stick to low CR monsters (high cr stuff is more up Blackdirge's ally, but... I'll see what I can cook up. Oh, and do you mind if I turn it into some sort of crazy combat machine of terrible death? And do you want it to have the normal gear for its NPC CR?

Actually, could you give me a description of how it will be used. Like, is it a guard at an ancient temple, or some sort of cult-summoned baddie, a villains super-evil minion, or what? And what god does it worship (IE, what domains?)

Cause it could be just a badass T-Rex. Or it could be... more.

Okay for a low CR, Traxus should have a minimum of 5 fighter levels and 2 clerical levels. As per turning it it into some sort of crazy combat machineof terrible death, that is just what I had in mind. Vile minds think alike!

He will be used as an idependent villain on some location best suited for him in any campaign. Like the Jungles of Chult for the Forgotten Realms. As per the deity he serves that would be Nerull (for the sake of Greyhawk) or Talona (for the sake of the Forgotten Realms). The reasoning behind the five levels of fighter is baecause I would like him to be specialized in his bite and claw attacks. The reason for the levels in cleric is because I just think it would make a bad a$$ mother as per inflicting poison, diesease and plagues. His Domains should be Destruction and Suffering.

I'd to start him off as a bad a$$ villain, then work him up to be something more.

 

[ConnorSB]

Here's Traxus as a Ftr 5, with all his feats and stuff. Not skills, though. Skills suck. I'll do them later.

Anyway, it turns out that using the Draconomicon produces really really hardcore things. Be prepared for the cheapest. attack combo. ever. The Flying Tripping Rending Snatching Charge.

Traxus- Half-Red Dragon Tyrannosaurus Fighter 5
Huge Dragon
Hit Dice: 18d10+ 144 + 5d10 + 40 (313 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), Fly 40 ft. (Average)
Armor Class: 20 (–2 size, +3 Dex, +9 natural) touch 11, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +18/+35
Attack: Bite + 32 melee (3d6+21)
Full Attack: Bite +32 melee (3d6+15) and 2 Claws +31 (2d8 + 7)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, swallow whole, Snatch, Rend, Clinging Breath Weapon, Dire Charge, Improved Trip
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Darkvision 60ft, Scent, Immune to Fire, Frightful Presence, SR 18
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +8
Abilities: Str 41, Dex 17, Con 26, Int 17, Wis 19, Cha 14
Skills: 6 skill points per level, Max ranks = 21, Class skills = hide, listen, spot.
Feats: Multiattack, Improved Multiattack, Awaken Frightful Presence, Awaken Spell resistance, Clinging Breath, Dire Charge, Snatch, Rend, Improved Snatch, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Cleave, Weapon Focus: Bite.
Environment: Warm plains
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 15
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 19–36 HD (Huge); 37–54 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

NOTE: Physical stat roles: 15, 14, 13. Intelligence Roll (as awakening spell says to): 17. Charisma bonus from awakening spell: +1. Bite is a Primary Attack. Claws are Secondary. As an NPC Monster, he gets 4 stat boosts (one every four hit dice), all of which go into wisdom.

Snatch (Ex): Traxus can choose to start a grapple when he hits with a claw or bite attack. With his bite he can do this to any creature of Large or smaller. With his claws he can snatch anything of medium size of smaller. He can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If he wins the grapple check, he establishes a hold.

These are Traxus options for what to do the subsequent rounds, by the creature’s size
Large
· Traxus can only snatch large creatures with his bite attack. If he does so, the creature is not allowed a Reflex save against Traxus’ breath weapon.
· Every round, Traxus automatically does bite damage to the creature, and can still make claw attacks against it.
· If held in the bite attack, the creature is not allowed a Reflex save against Traxus’ breath weapon.
· If held in the bite attack, Traxus can drop a creature as a free action, or fling it aside as a standard action. A flung creature travels 1d6 x 10 feet, and takes 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet traveled. If Traxus flings a snatched opponent while flying, the opponent takes this amount or falling damage, whichever is greater.
Medium or smaller
· Traxus can snatch medium creatures with either his bite or his claw attacks.
· Every round, Traxus automatically deals bite damage to the creature if it I in his mouth, and can still use his claw attacks against it.
· Conversely, if he has it held in his claws, he automatically does claw damage to it, and can still use his bite attack against it.
· If held in the bite attack, the creature is not allowed a Reflex save against Traxus’ breath weapon.
· If held in the bite attack, Traxus can drop a creature as a free action, or fling it aside as a standard action. A flung creature travels 1d6 x 10 feet, and takes 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet traveled. If Traxus flings a snatched opponent while flying, the opponent takes this amount or falling damage, whichever is greater.
· Whether his bite or his claws hold them, Traxus can attempt to swallow whole a creature of medium size or smaller by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes 2d8+8 points of bludgeoning damage and 8 points of acid damage per round from the tyrannosaurus’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 12). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole, another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. Traxus’ gizzard can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Rend (Ex): If Traxus hits with both of his claw attacks, he automatically does 8d8 + 34 damage. He cannot attempt to snatch or grapple while doing so.

Clinging Breath Weapon (Ex): Cone of Fire, 30 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, 30 ft. high. 6d10 fire damage to any in area. Reflex save DC 19 halves. Unless the creature has evasion or some such, the next round they take an additional half of the damage they took the first round. Trexus can use this ability once every 1d4+1 rounds.

Frightful Presence (Su): Any creatures within 45 ft. of Traxus must make a Will save DC 21. On a failure, creatures with 4HD or less are panicked for 4d6 rounds. Creatures of 5HD or more are merely shaken for 4d6 rounds.

Improved Trip (Ex): Traxus can trip opponents with his claw attacks. He does not provoke an attack of opertunity, and gains an additional +12 to his strength check (for size and feats). In addition, he can immediately make a melee attack as if he had not used that attack for the trip attempt. This means that yes, he can trip and then snatch. If his trip attempt is successful, the opponent has a –4 AC penalty for being prone.

Dire Charge (Ex): Traxus can make a full attack action after charging an opponent, as opposed to only a standard attack.

Immunities (Ex): Immune to all fire damage.

Skills: A tyrannosaurus has a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.

COMBAT:

(Against Medium Opponents)
Traxus enters combat with a flying charge. He can move up to eighty feet, and can land 5 feet away and still attack. Note that he gets a +2 attack bonus to all his attacks and a –2 AC penalty. When he does land, he can take a full attack action against the creature. His favorite move at this point is to try to trip the opponent with his claw attacks.

If he succeeds with the first trip attempt, he attacks with both claws, attempting to rend. He bites as well, after the rend.

If he fails the first trip attack but succeeds at the second, he cannot rend and instead uses his free claw attack to snatch the opponent (with the opponent at a disadvantage in strength being prone). After snatching he bites the opponent, transferring the opponent to his mouth. If neither trip attack succeeds, Traxus tries to snatch the opponent with his bite attack.

Finally, Trexus uses his breath weapon as free action, regardless of where his opponent is.

If the opponent ends the round in his mouth, on his next turn Traxus will try to swallow it whole, or throw it aside if he is feeling belligerent.

If it ends the round being rended, Traxus will spend the next round trying to snatch it into his mouth.

If his opponents somehow manage to avoid all his attacks, he spends the next round trying to rend them.

Being an intelligent being, Traxus will attempt to take out the spell casters first, followed by the fighters, and then whoever’s left.

NOTE: Traxus has Cleave. But it can only be used against opponents within 5 ft. (IE: tank fighters). Traxus also has power attack. He probably maxes it out, taking 5 off his attack mod and adding 5 to damage.

 

[Allanon]

Here you go! I had to fudge the numbers a little bit, as the Tauric Template works out a bit weirdly when applied to things that are humanoid in form, but not actually, ruleswise, humanoids. Gar.

I think the CR might be a little off, and I'm not sure I did the claw attacks correctly. Stupid multiple natural attacks and multiple attacks per weapon...

Oh, the Dreamtouched part of his name isn't actually a template, its just a descriptor I added because I gave him the two dream-esque abilities Dreamform and Sudden Stretch.

If the CR is too high, adjusting is easy. Drop 2 hit dice, eliminate the second gaze attack, lower his constitution by 2 and his attacks all by 2 and that drops it down to CR 7.

The Dreamiss- Dreamtouched Two Headed Tauric Nothic-Brown Bear
...

Nice! It's great, and will serve the purpose of scaring them nicely. All four of my player's have DM experience and thus Monster knowledge, this will nicely put into perspective the endless possibilities and thus dangers of the planes and in particular the plane of dreams. The CR is spot on. They'll be around 5th to 6th level when they'll first meet it so the 9 tot 10'ish CR that it's about will make it a nice returning monster, ahhh they'll love me for it . Thanks again

 

[ConnorSB]

All Right, here is Traxus in his final form, coming in at a whopping CR 17. I don't think I did his saves right (they should be higher maybe?), but... he's still freakishly evil and scary and awsome. Hmm.... maybe he should wear armor. His dex mod would suffer, but a huge-sized full plate couldn't hurt his AC... Oh, magic items, I forgot to do them. I'll add those in later....

Traxus- Half-Red Dragon Tyrannosaurus Fighter 5, Cleric 2
Huge Dragon
Hit Dice: 18d10+ 144 + 5d10 + 40 +2d8 + 16 (340 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), Fly 40 ft. (Average)
Armor Class: 20 (–2 size, +3 Dex, +9 natural) touch 11, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +19/+36
Attack: Bite + 33 melee (3d6+21)
Full Attack: Bite +33 melee (3d6+15) and 2 Claws +32 (2d8 + 7)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, swallow whole, Snatch, Rend, Clinging Breath Weapon, Dire Charge, Improved Trip, Spells
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Darkvision 60ft, Scent, Immune to Fire, Frightful Presence, SR 18
Saves: Fort +19, Ref +12, Will +11
Abilities: Str 41, Dex 17, Con 26, Int 17, Wis 19, Cha 14
Skills: Hide +15, Listen +33, Search +31, Spot +33, Move Silently +31, Tumble +31.
Feats: Multiattack, Improved Multiattack, Awaken Frightful Presence, Awaken Spell resistance, Clinging Breath, Dire Charge, Snatch, Rend, Improved Snatch, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Cleave, Weapon Focus: Bite.
Environment: Warm plains
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 19–36 HD (Huge); 37–54 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: —

NOTE: Physical stat roles: 15, 14, 13. Intelligence Roll (as awakening spell says to): 17. Charisma bonus from awakening spell: +1. Bite is a Primary Attack. Claws are Secondary. As an NPC Monster, he gets 4 stat boosts (one every four hit dice), all of which go into wisdom.

Snatch (Ex): Traxus can choose to start a grapple when he hits with a claw or bite attack. With his bite he can do this to any creature of Large or smaller. With his claws he can snatch anything of medium size of smaller. He can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If he wins the grapple check, he establishes a hold.

These are Traxus options for what to do the subsequent rounds, by the creature’s size
Large
· Traxus can only snatch large creatures with his bite attack. If he does so, the creature is not allowed a Reflex save against Traxus’ breath weapon.
· Every round, Traxus automatically does bite damage to the creature, and can still make claw attacks against it.
· If held in the bite attack, the creature is not allowed a Reflex save against Traxus’ breath weapon.
· If held in the bite attack, Traxus can drop a creature as a free action, or fling it aside as a standard action. A flung creature travels 1d6 x 10 feet, and takes 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet traveled. If Traxus flings a snatched opponent while flying, the opponent takes this amount or falling damage, whichever is greater.
Medium
· Traxus can snatch medium creatures with either his bite or his claw attacks.
· Every round, Traxus automatically deals bite damage to the creature if it I in his mouth, and can still use his claw attacks against it.
· Conversely, if he has it held in his claws, he automatically does claw damage to it, and can still use his bite attack against it.
· If held in the bite attack, the creature is not allowed a Reflex save against Traxus’ breath weapon.
· If held in the bite attack, Traxus can drop a creature as a free action, or fling it aside as a standard action. A flung creature travels 1d6 x 10 feet, and takes 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet traveled. If Traxus flings a snatched opponent while flying, the opponent takes this amount or falling damage, whichever is greater.
· Whether his bite or his claws hold them, Traxus can attempt to swallow whole a creature of medium size or smaller by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes 2d8+8 points of bludgeoning damage and 8 points of acid damage per round from the tyrannosaurus’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 12). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole, another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. Traxus’ gizzard can hold 2 Medium, 8 Small, 32 Tiny, or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Rend (Ex): If Traxus hits with both of his claw attacks, he automatically does 8d8 + 34 damage. He cannot attempt to snatch or grapple while doing so.

Clinging Breath Weapon (Ex): Cone of Fire, 30 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, 30 ft. high. 6d10 fire damage to any in area. Reflex save DC 19 halves. Unless the creature has evasion or some such, the next round they take an additional half of the damage they took the first round. Trexus can use this ability once every 1d4+1 rounds.

Frightful Presence (Su): Any creatures within 45 ft. of Traxus must make a Will save DC 21. On a failure, creatures with 4HD or less are panicked for 4d6 rounds. Creatures of 5HD or more are merely shaken for 4d6 rounds.

Improved Trip (Ex): Traxus can trip opponents with his claw attacks. He does not provoke an attack of opertunity, and gains an additional +12 to his strength check (for size and feats). In addition, he can immediately make a melee attack as if he had not used that attack for the trip attempt. This means that yes, he can trip and then snatch. If his trip attempt is successful, the opponent has a –4 AC penalty for being prone.

Dire Charge (Ex): Traxus can make a full attack action after charging an opponent, as opposed to only a standard attack.

Immunities (Ex): Immune to all fire damage.

Skills: A tyrannosaurus has a +2 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.

Spells (Sp): 4/3+1 per day. Typical Spell List: 0th-Detect Magic x 4. 1st-Protection from Good, Cure Light Wounds x 2, D: Inflict Light Wounds

Domain Powers(Su): Destruction: 1/day, add +4 to single melee attack roll, and +2 damage to that attack. Death:1/day, you can make a death touch attack. Roll a melee attack roll, and if you hit roll 1d6+2. If the creature you strike has less HD than the number you rolled, it dies.

COMBAT:

(Against Medium Opponents)
Traxus enters combat with a flying charge. He can move up to eighty feet, and can land 5 feet away and still attack. Note that he gets a +2 attack bonus to all his attacks and a –2 AC penalty. When he does land, he can take a full attack action against the creature. His favorite move at this point is to try to trip the opponent with his claw attacks.

If he succeeds with the first trip attempt, he attacks with both claws, attempting to rend. He bites as well, after the rend.

If he fails the first trip attack but succeeds at the second, he cannot rend and instead uses his free claw attack to snatch the opponent (with the opponent at a disadvantage in strength being prone). After snatching he bites the opponent, transferring the opponent to his mouth. If neither trip attack succeeds, Traxus tries to snatch the opponent with his bite attack.

Finally, Trexus uses his breath weapon as free action, regardless of where his opponent is.

If the opponent ends the round in his mouth, on his next turn Traxus will try to swallow it whole, or throw it aside if he is feeling belligerent.

If it ends the round being rended, Traxus will spend the next round trying to snatch it into his mouth.

If his opponents somehow manage to avoid all his attacks, he spends the next round trying to rend them.

Being an intelligent being, Traxus will attempt to take out the spell casters first, followed by the fighters, and then whoever’s left.

NOTE: Traxus has Cleave. But it can only be used against opponents within 5 ft. (IE: tank fighters). Traxus also has power attack. He probably maxes it out, taking 5 off his attack mod and adding 5 to damage.

 

[Allanon]

bump

Spoiler

Bump...made you look

Can't have this much monstery goodness hanging on the second page...

 

[LazerPointer]

Okay, along the lines of really low CR creatures, (for a party of lvl. 1 small PC's) can someone just list some good ideas for interesting foes?

eg. the basics: kobolds, wolves, zombies, skeletons, goblins....

I can make up stats, but just a few monsters outside the norm would really add to the first couple of levels.

 

[ConnorSB]

well, the best way to make these low level foes interesting is class level, or giving them a unique ability (which class level basically does).

Well, with adding class, however, its important to remember to actually use the classes abilities while fighting.

Maybe its not a goblin with a mace, maybe its a goblin monk, who cowers "unarmed" before he tries to choke one of the PCs with his grimy, dirty hands. He paralzyes them before climbing on top of them and wrestling them to the ground. Perhaps while a foe is paralyzed, he, umm... "soils" them.

Zombies are good, as are skeletons. But what about flaming skeletons? or zombies dipped in alchemists fire. Sure, you could light one up, but the lightee would be taking more than a little heat.

Another way to spice up low level foes (especially goblins) is to look towards thier god, Malgubyutt (or however it is spelled). Kamakaze Midget's
Diety-A-Week thread has a really good writeup on him. But, basically, the god can give a race a certain motiff. The goblin god lives at the base of what is basically a sewerwater waterfall, and is appeased when his sevents throw trash down onto him. The goblin race not only lives in filth and poverty, it revels in it. So go with that theme- have goblin filth slingers, who purposely keep themselves diseased, such that they can hawk up some spit, shine up thier weapon, and pass it along to the PCs. Or they simply fling thier own foul and disease ridden excrement at enemies, hoping that the smell will drive them off, and the disease will kill them.

Oh, and the creapiest thing for goblins is the comunual toilet/hot tub.

 

[ConnorSB]

Hmm... I should probably do a few more writeups soon. My monster-fu is slacking.

And I just got the 3.5 MM, which I actually find much easier than the 3.0 one...

 

[TroyXavier]

3.5 MM is very nice. If you're taking requests, how about something with my favorite goblinoid race, the Hobgoblin?