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Converting Dark*Matter Creatures
- Thread starter Rappy
- Start date
Rappy
First Post
Sorry folks, I was diving my time yesterday and today between yelling like a madwoman at my ISP and getting news on my grandmother being back in the hospital. But now I'm back, with a new creature for us to do statting "battle" with.
Ikuya
[sblock]STR 20
DEX 10
CON 20
INT 6
WILL 14
PER 8
Durability: 20/20/10/10
Speed: Sprint 40, run 24, walk 8
Reaction Score: Ordinary/2
Attacks
Claws 20/10/5
Bite 20/10/5
Defenses
+5 resistance modifier vs. melee attacks
-2 step bonus to resist toxins
Armor (Good): d4+1
Skills
Athletics [20]; Unarmed [20]; Movement [20]; Stamina [20]-endurance [22]; Awareness [14]-intuition [15]; Investigate [14]-search [16], track [16]; Resolve [14]-physical [18].
-----------------------
Description
The average grizzly (also known as "brown") bear stands about 1 meter high at the shoulder, or two meters when upright on its hind legs, and has front claws about 10 centimeters long. The Ikuya is its monstrous cousin: three times as large, with 30-centimeter claws and 8-centimeter teeth and weighing over 1,200 kilograms. Though a brown bear might have the same yellowish-white fur as the Ikuya, it is impossible to mistake one for the other.
Encounter
The Koriak reindeer hunters of Russia's far north and the Inuit people of Alaska and northern Canada say that the Ikuya appears only when the weather is particularly harsh. Zoologists might say this is because the bear's usual game is scarce then, but those who claim to have actually seen it believe that the Ikuya brings the weather. At such times, the beast is ravenously hungry and attacks nearly anything edible.
Despite its overpowering hunger, though, the Ikuya does not attack foolishly. It is an intelligent beast and well aware that human weapons can cause it pain. Consequently, if armed humans are the only available prey, it draws hunters far out into the wilderness in pursuit of it. Often traveling for days, the creature relies on its fantastic endurance while starvating and cold weakens its foes, before it finally turns and faces them.
The Ikuya's combat tactics are simple. It begins with a powerful blow from the paws, meant to overwhelm its target. This initial attack combines the overpower and takedown maneuvers, incurring a +2 step penalty to its Unarmed Attack check. If the attack is successful, the victim is thrown to the ground. The great bear then brings its full weight down on the hapless victim, attempting to pin it. If the pin succeeds, the bear uses its powerful jaws to finish off its prey, not relenting until one or the other is dead.
Habitat/Society
The Ikuya may be the only one of its kind. It is only encountered singly, and long periods of time pass between its appearances, which may be in widely different locals. Of course, the sheer ferocity of the giant bear makes it impossible for most people to move close enough to examine its old scars and survive.
Two Inuit hunters killed such a creature in 1864 and shipped its skin and skull to the Smithsonian Institute, where it was identified decades later as a new species of bear - or perhaps a very old species. This would suggest that there must be more than one. But modern Inuit say that the skull and pelt in Washington, D.C., are not from the great bear at all, but from what the beast wanted the hunters to believe was the true Ikuya. As proof, they point out that the next expedition the two hunters undertook was their last - they were never seen by mortal eyes again.
The Inuit maintain that the Ikuya is a god, and that it brings vicious winters and horrible death to humans that do not show proper respect for the ordinary bears they hunt. This may be true only for the Inuit, however, since whites have been hunting bears in these regions since the 1800s, and few have encountered the Ikuya. On the ot her hand, the Ikuya may not be able to differentiate between various humans, and so may be wreaking its revenge on nearby inhabitants rather than distant civilized humans - unless, of course, the latter are foolish enough to come looking for it.[/sblock]
Whoo...this is a tough one. The biggest problem is that we have unreliable narrator syndrome in an RPG title; is the Ikuya a unique magical god-beast, or simply a big bear?
If it's the former, we can pin it down as a Large (or Huge?) Magical Beast [Cold], possibly around 20 hit dice to match an upper-par dire bear and show its brute strength, and work from there (including the conversion of the ability scores). If it's the latter...well, we could just have a cold-themed dire bear and call it a day.
Ikuya
[sblock]STR 20
DEX 10
CON 20
INT 6
WILL 14
PER 8
Durability: 20/20/10/10
Speed: Sprint 40, run 24, walk 8
Reaction Score: Ordinary/2
Attacks
Claws 20/10/5
Bite 20/10/5
Defenses
+5 resistance modifier vs. melee attacks
-2 step bonus to resist toxins
Armor (Good): d4+1
Skills
Athletics [20]; Unarmed [20]; Movement [20]; Stamina [20]-endurance [22]; Awareness [14]-intuition [15]; Investigate [14]-search [16], track [16]; Resolve [14]-physical [18].
-----------------------
Description
The average grizzly (also known as "brown") bear stands about 1 meter high at the shoulder, or two meters when upright on its hind legs, and has front claws about 10 centimeters long. The Ikuya is its monstrous cousin: three times as large, with 30-centimeter claws and 8-centimeter teeth and weighing over 1,200 kilograms. Though a brown bear might have the same yellowish-white fur as the Ikuya, it is impossible to mistake one for the other.
Encounter
The Koriak reindeer hunters of Russia's far north and the Inuit people of Alaska and northern Canada say that the Ikuya appears only when the weather is particularly harsh. Zoologists might say this is because the bear's usual game is scarce then, but those who claim to have actually seen it believe that the Ikuya brings the weather. At such times, the beast is ravenously hungry and attacks nearly anything edible.
Despite its overpowering hunger, though, the Ikuya does not attack foolishly. It is an intelligent beast and well aware that human weapons can cause it pain. Consequently, if armed humans are the only available prey, it draws hunters far out into the wilderness in pursuit of it. Often traveling for days, the creature relies on its fantastic endurance while starvating and cold weakens its foes, before it finally turns and faces them.
The Ikuya's combat tactics are simple. It begins with a powerful blow from the paws, meant to overwhelm its target. This initial attack combines the overpower and takedown maneuvers, incurring a +2 step penalty to its Unarmed Attack check. If the attack is successful, the victim is thrown to the ground. The great bear then brings its full weight down on the hapless victim, attempting to pin it. If the pin succeeds, the bear uses its powerful jaws to finish off its prey, not relenting until one or the other is dead.
Habitat/Society
The Ikuya may be the only one of its kind. It is only encountered singly, and long periods of time pass between its appearances, which may be in widely different locals. Of course, the sheer ferocity of the giant bear makes it impossible for most people to move close enough to examine its old scars and survive.
Two Inuit hunters killed such a creature in 1864 and shipped its skin and skull to the Smithsonian Institute, where it was identified decades later as a new species of bear - or perhaps a very old species. This would suggest that there must be more than one. But modern Inuit say that the skull and pelt in Washington, D.C., are not from the great bear at all, but from what the beast wanted the hunters to believe was the true Ikuya. As proof, they point out that the next expedition the two hunters undertook was their last - they were never seen by mortal eyes again.
The Inuit maintain that the Ikuya is a god, and that it brings vicious winters and horrible death to humans that do not show proper respect for the ordinary bears they hunt. This may be true only for the Inuit, however, since whites have been hunting bears in these regions since the 1800s, and few have encountered the Ikuya. On the ot her hand, the Ikuya may not be able to differentiate between various humans, and so may be wreaking its revenge on nearby inhabitants rather than distant civilized humans - unless, of course, the latter are foolish enough to come looking for it.[/sblock]
Whoo...this is a tough one. The biggest problem is that we have unreliable narrator syndrome in an RPG title; is the Ikuya a unique magical god-beast, or simply a big bear?
If it's the former, we can pin it down as a Large (or Huge?) Magical Beast [Cold], possibly around 20 hit dice to match an upper-par dire bear and show its brute strength, and work from there (including the conversion of the ability scores). If it's the latter...well, we could just have a cold-themed dire bear and call it a day.
Cleon
Legend
If in doubt, go for the more interesting option.
I'd take a Dire Bear and turn it into a Magical Beast while retaining its Dire subtype for the all-good saves (possibly a bit dodgy, but I don't care) and up its Hit Dice to somewhere in the Huge bracket. Maybe double the Dire bear's 12 HD ?
Giving it 24 Hit Dice would allow it to have Epic Feats.
I would give it cold resistance rather than the Cold subtype, so (a) it isn't vulnerable to fire and (b) the text makes no mention of it being immune to cold, it just says "fantastic endurance).
Then I'd let it have some supernatural or spell-like powers. Maybe control weather 1/day (can only be used to create frigid cold or blizzards).
Maybe Rejuvenation for that "you think you've killed it, but it'll come back again" trick?
I'm sure we can come up with a few more ideas later.
Oh, and a bear with 30 cm claws probably weighs a lot more than 1200 kg - it could easily weigh 25,000 pounds.
I'd take a Dire Bear and turn it into a Magical Beast while retaining its Dire subtype for the all-good saves (possibly a bit dodgy, but I don't care) and up its Hit Dice to somewhere in the Huge bracket. Maybe double the Dire bear's 12 HD ?
Giving it 24 Hit Dice would allow it to have Epic Feats.
I would give it cold resistance rather than the Cold subtype, so (a) it isn't vulnerable to fire and (b) the text makes no mention of it being immune to cold, it just says "fantastic endurance).
Then I'd let it have some supernatural or spell-like powers. Maybe control weather 1/day (can only be used to create frigid cold or blizzards).
Maybe Rejuvenation for that "you think you've killed it, but it'll come back again" trick?
I'm sure we can come up with a few more ideas later.
Oh, and a bear with 30 cm claws probably weighs a lot more than 1200 kg - it could easily weigh 25,000 pounds.
Rappy
First Post
Ikuya
CR: 16
Huge Magical Beast
Hit Die: 24d10+144
Hit Points: 276
Massive Damage Threshold: 23
Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft.
Defense: 32, touch 22, flat-footed 32 (-2 size, +24 natural)
Base Attack Bonus: +24
Grapple: +46
Attack: +36 melee (2d6+14, claw)
Full attack: +36 melee (2d6+14, 2 claws) and +34 melee (3d8+7, bite)
Fighting Space: 15 ft. by 15 ft.
Reach: 10 ft.
Special Qualities: Blizzard calling, cold resistance 20, damage reduction 10/epic, Darkvision 60 ft., dire beast, low-light vision, scent.
Allegiances: None
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +18, Will +18
Action Points: 0
Reputation: +0
Abilities: Str 39, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 7, Wis 18, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +5* (+13 in snow), Move Silently +13, Spot +17, Survival +4* (+8 when scent tracking)
Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Dire Charge, Epic Reflexes, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Track (B)
Advancement: - (Unique)
Possessions: None
Ikuya, the great bear of the north, is a cunning and vicious beast often revered as a god. His powerful legs carry him across the tundra with minimal effort, and his great bulk allows him to take down nearly anything within his domain. When hunting intelligent prey, Ikuya stirs up a blizzard and constantly picks at the prey, never staying in one place any longer than he needs to. Once the prey has been worn out and weakened sufficiently, the great bear will use his powerful bulk to bowl over and eviscerate his target.
Species Traits
Blizzard Calling (Su): Once per day, Ikuya can summon a mighty storm as a full-round action. This functions as per the Control Weather incantation, but can only be used to create frigid temperatures or blizzards.
Dire Beast (Ex): Ikuya has all good saving throws, as though it were a Dire Animal.
Skills: Ikuya has a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Move Silently and Spot checks. It has a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks made to follow a scent.
*In snow and ice environments, Ikuya's racial bonus to Hide checks increases to +12.
Ikuya In Dungeons and Dragons
Environment: Cold plains
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Ikuya works essentially the same in a fantasy setting.
Variant: Ikuya the God-Bear
At the GM's discretion, Ikuya may be presented as a full-on demibeing, applying the following changes:
Size and Type: Huge Outsider.
Challenge Rating: 18.
Rejuvenation (Su): If killed, the Ikuya merely reforms on the icy tundra in 2d4 days. The only way to truly kill Ikuya is to leave his corpse in a place of intense heat (such as a desert or the Plane of Fire). Considering the sheer bulk of the body and its location, this is a rather tall order.
Shift Dimensions (Su): Three times per day, the Ikuya can take a full round action and move himself from one dimension to another. This acts as a plane shift spell (self-only, caster level equals hit dice), except if the Ikuya uses shift dimensions to enter a material plane, he must shift into an area where the temperature is lower than freezing.
Spell Resistance 30 (Ex): The Ikuya is highly resistant to magic.
Skills: Hide +23 (+31 in snow), Intimidate +27, Move Silently +31, Listen +31, Spot +35, Survival +31* (+35 when scent tracking).
Ikuya is © 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Originally found in Dark*Matter: Xenoforms
CR: 16
Huge Magical Beast
Hit Die: 24d10+144
Hit Points: 276
Massive Damage Threshold: 23
Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft.
Defense: 32, touch 22, flat-footed 32 (-2 size, +24 natural)
Base Attack Bonus: +24
Grapple: +46
Attack: +36 melee (2d6+14, claw)
Full attack: +36 melee (2d6+14, 2 claws) and +34 melee (3d8+7, bite)
Fighting Space: 15 ft. by 15 ft.
Reach: 10 ft.
Special Qualities: Blizzard calling, cold resistance 20, damage reduction 10/epic, Darkvision 60 ft., dire beast, low-light vision, scent.
Allegiances: None
Saves: Fort +20, Ref +18, Will +18
Action Points: 0
Reputation: +0
Abilities: Str 39, Dex 11, Con 23, Int 7, Wis 18, Cha 10
Skills: Hide +5* (+13 in snow), Move Silently +13, Spot +17, Survival +4* (+8 when scent tracking)
Feats: Awesome Blow, Cleave, Dire Charge, Epic Reflexes, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Track (B)
Advancement: - (Unique)
Possessions: None
Ikuya, the great bear of the north, is a cunning and vicious beast often revered as a god. His powerful legs carry him across the tundra with minimal effort, and his great bulk allows him to take down nearly anything within his domain. When hunting intelligent prey, Ikuya stirs up a blizzard and constantly picks at the prey, never staying in one place any longer than he needs to. Once the prey has been worn out and weakened sufficiently, the great bear will use his powerful bulk to bowl over and eviscerate his target.
Species Traits
Blizzard Calling (Su): Once per day, Ikuya can summon a mighty storm as a full-round action. This functions as per the Control Weather incantation, but can only be used to create frigid temperatures or blizzards.
Dire Beast (Ex): Ikuya has all good saving throws, as though it were a Dire Animal.
Skills: Ikuya has a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Move Silently and Spot checks. It has a +4 racial bonus to Survival checks made to follow a scent.
*In snow and ice environments, Ikuya's racial bonus to Hide checks increases to +12.
Ikuya In Dungeons and Dragons
Environment: Cold plains
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Ikuya works essentially the same in a fantasy setting.
Variant: Ikuya the God-Bear
At the GM's discretion, Ikuya may be presented as a full-on demibeing, applying the following changes:
Size and Type: Huge Outsider.
Challenge Rating: 18.
Rejuvenation (Su): If killed, the Ikuya merely reforms on the icy tundra in 2d4 days. The only way to truly kill Ikuya is to leave his corpse in a place of intense heat (such as a desert or the Plane of Fire). Considering the sheer bulk of the body and its location, this is a rather tall order.
Shift Dimensions (Su): Three times per day, the Ikuya can take a full round action and move himself from one dimension to another. This acts as a plane shift spell (self-only, caster level equals hit dice), except if the Ikuya uses shift dimensions to enter a material plane, he must shift into an area where the temperature is lower than freezing.
Spell Resistance 30 (Ex): The Ikuya is highly resistant to magic.
Skills: Hide +23 (+31 in snow), Intimidate +27, Move Silently +31, Listen +31, Spot +35, Survival +31* (+35 when scent tracking).
Ikuya is © 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Originally found in Dark*Matter: Xenoforms
Last edited:
Cleon
Legend
Looks a good start. May want to give some kind of boost to that AC, since 18 doesn't seem good enough for a "god beast".
As I said earlier, I'd like to give it a good will save (for Will +18) to help strike the fear of Ikuya in those it meets. We can justify it with a SQ:
Cold resistance 15 seems too low to me, I'd up it to at least 20.
Dire Beast (Ex): Ikuya has all good saving throws, as though it were a Dire Animal.
I think DR 10/epic should be enough.
As I said earlier, I'd like to give it a good will save (for Will +18) to help strike the fear of Ikuya in those it meets. We can justify it with a SQ:
Cold resistance 15 seems too low to me, I'd up it to at least 20.
Dire Beast (Ex): Ikuya has all good saving throws, as though it were a Dire Animal.
I think DR 10/epic should be enough.
Rappy
First Post
Updated.
Does the new natural armor bonus seem okay, or should we beef it up even more?
Also, if the special qualities look alright, it seems like skills are the next line of statting. At this rate, the only thing that will stop this relatively strong streak of statting will be either an unexpected roadblock or having everything but the creatures of The Killing Jar (which I don't own) statted.
Does the new natural armor bonus seem okay, or should we beef it up even more?
Also, if the special qualities look alright, it seems like skills are the next line of statting. At this rate, the only thing that will stop this relatively strong streak of statting will be either an unexpected roadblock or having everything but the creatures of The Killing Jar (which I don't own) statted.
Cleon
Legend
The special qualities look OK, but I'm still uncertain about the NA bonus.
Perhaps we should decide on a CR to aim for and then figure what AC would best fit that?
Glancing in the Epic Monsters SRD for comparisons we've got the Brachyurus at 38HD, Large and +17 NA (which argues that +15 is about right), or the Behemoth Gorilla at 21 HD, Huge and +22 NA (which argues we want its NA higher). Since the Ikuya has 3 more HD than the Behemoth Gorilla, and a SRD Polar Bear has 2 more NA than an Ape, how about giving the Ikuya 2 more NA than a Behemoth Gorilla, for +24 natural?
Hmm, the Behemoth Gorilla is also a Huge Outsider (Extraplanar) - maybe that explains why it is so rarely seen - it is a creature of spirit that spends much of its time on other planes?
It literally is a god beast!
Making it an Outsider would give it a lot more skills points for stalking-and-killing skills such as Intimidate, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot and Survival.
That also means we wouldn't need to give it "Dire Beast", since outsiders already get all-good saves, and we may want to give it plane shift (self only) spell-like ability (3/day?).
Perhaps it can only plane shift into areas that are below zero? May want to make it a (Su) rather than a SLA.
Behemoth creatures also have Spell Resistance 30, which I can't help feeling is very tempting...
So, I'm suggesting:
Huge Outsider (Extraplanar)
NA +24
Drop "Dire Beast"
Add SR30 and "Shift Dimensions":
Shift Dimensions (Ex): Three times per day, the Ikuya can take a full round action and move itself from one dimension to another. This acts as a plane shift spell (self-only, caster level equals hit dice), except if the Ikuya uses shift dimensions to enter a material plane it must shift into an area where the temperature is lower than [freezing? X degrees below freezing?].
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
I much prefer the magical beast with cold resistance to an outsider.
Rappy
First Post
I'm partial to the Magical Beast form, but I can see the appeal for it being a Behemoth Bear as well. And it's not unprecedented for it to be able to shift dimensions (given that several of the "Strangers" are classed as extradimensionals rather than extraterrestrials).
The only snag I can see is that it would infer the previously suggested boosting of intellect, which parts a bit from Ikuya; he's cunning, but not the brightest bulb in the box. He's more of a supernatural uber-predator than the animalian equivalent of a demon lord of archangel.
The only snag I can see is that it would infer the previously suggested boosting of intellect, which parts a bit from Ikuya; he's cunning, but not the brightest bulb in the box. He's more of a supernatural uber-predator than the animalian equivalent of a demon lord of archangel.
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