Converting monsters from Dragon magazine

[Cleon]

Okay, that just leaves us with skills, feats and Challenge Rating for the stats.

Standard Giant Crocodiles have Alertness, Endurance and Skill Focus (Hide) so I suppose we'd better keep those and add a couple more. I don't have any particular preferences what. Maybe Improved Critical (bite) and Weapon Focus (bite) to be boring?

Skillwise, they have 7 more SPs than a Giant Crocodile, which has ranks of Hide 6, Listen 2, Spot 2.

I suggest using 4 of the ranks to cancel additional 4 points size penalty it has for being Gargantuan and dividing the remaining 3 SPs evenly between its three skills, for Hide 11, Listen 3, Spot 3.

That'd give it:

Skills: Hide +2*, Listen +6, Spot +6, Swim +16

 

[freyar]

I'll agree to those skills and feats.

I'm going to go CR 9. It's similar to but a bit better than an athatch or a T Rex. It's probably a reasonable comparison to a dragon turtle, which is CR 9, also.

 

[Cleon]

I'll agree to those skills and feats.

Updating Marine Saurian Working Draft.

Oh, and I noticed its Hit Dice line was wrong - its Con bonus is +6 not +8, so it should have 14d8+84 (147 hp), not 14d8+112 (175).

I'm going to go CR 9. It's similar to but a bit better than an athatch or a T Rex. It's probably a reasonable comparison to a dragon turtle, which is CR 9, also.

I can see it going either way but am leaning toward Challenge Rating 8.

A dragon turtle has a significantly better AC, roughly equal saves, much higher melee damage output when full attacking, and its breath weapon is a more effective area attack than the marine saurian's tail sweep. It's also got much better skills.

The marine saurian's got worse saves and fewer hit points than a Tyrannosaurus, but its attacks do a bit more damage and it has those extra special attacks.

 

[Cleon]

Updating Marine Saurian Working Draft.

How's this for the background and tactics?

A smooth-skinned reptile as big as a whale, with a sinuous body and long tail shaped for swimming. Its four limbs are so flattened for steering through water they are useless for walking.

Marine saurians are immense aquatic reptiles. They come in several varieties, leading some sages to speculate they include multiple species of reptile of similar size and habits, possibly including giant mosasaurs, pliosaurs, and crocodiles. All marine saurians resemble immense crocodiles in rough shape, with flippers or web-footed legs for limbs. Some have a vertical fin on the end of the tail, while others have flattened scull-like tails. They are mostly smooth-skinned and streamlined, but may have traces of scales forming a ridge down their back and/or rings around their body. Marine saurians live in tropical waters and avoid coasts.

Marine saurians are surprisingly shy. They eat smaller sea creatures (mostly large fish and small whales), but tend to avoid or hide from anything they don't recognize as prey or a potential mate.

A marine saurian is usually about 60 feet long and weighs roughly 50 tons.

Combat
Despite having a retiring personality, marine saurians are deadly predators able to tear a whale to pieces. They generally target their largest opponent with bite attacks and follow up with a death roll once they secure a grapple. Marine saurians usually only use tail slaps when their jaws are occupied by prey and they need to attack a second opponent. Multiple lesser enemies are often dealt with by tail sweep attacks.

 

[Cleon]

I can see it going either way but am leaning toward Challenge Rating 8.

The marine saurian's got worse saves and fewer hit points than a Tyrannosaurus, but its attacks do a bit more damage and it has those extra special attacks.

Upon reflection, the stunning ability and high damage output of its Death Roll attack is nasty enough it's tilting me toward Challenge Rating 9.

It's certainly a lot more powerful than the SRD Tyrannosaurus's special attacks.

 

[freyar]

Exactly. T Rex is hardly what it should be.

 

[Cleon]

Exactly. T Rex is hardly what it should be.

OK, let's make it CR 9 then.

Is the flavour & tactics above alright?

 

[freyar]

Yes, they look good. All set then?

 

[Cleon]

Yes, they look good. All set then?

Updating Marine Saurian Working Draft.

And another one is finished!

The Merhorse is next on the list.

 

[freyar]

Start it up!