Converting monsters from Imagine Magazine

[Shade]

Mantabungal
Freq: Very rare
# App: 1-6
AC: 7
Move: 15"
HD: 4
% in Lair: 20%
Treasure type: nil
# Att: 2 or 3/2
Dmg/Att: hooves 1-4, tusks 1-10
SA: nil
SD: nil
MR: standard
Int: Animal
Alignment: neutral
Size: L
Psionics: nil
Level/XP Value: III/85 + 4/hp

These ferocious beasts are described as having a bovine body with a shaggy coat like a yak. They have no horns, but their jaws are equipped with two sets of huge boarlike tusks, one pointing upwards and the other downwards. Mantabungal are forest-dwellers, and appear to be similar to wild boars in their habits. They are extremely aggressive, and will attack on sight.

Their main weapon is their tusks, with which they can attack three times in two melee rounds; they have been known to engage two opponents at once, attacking each alternately. They can also lash out with their forehooves, but not while fighting with their tusks. They are sometimes thought of as demons, but have no personal charms nor any of the typical abilities of other Filipino demons; this reputation may have arisen as a result of their ferocity.

From Imagine Magazine #25 (1985)

 

[demiurge1138]

This one seems pretty straightforward. Boar + magical beast type + permanently hasted. Not too terribly exciting.

Demiurge out.

 

[freyar]

Yeah, I'd agree with that. Probably something like Power Attack & Cleave for the feats, too, given that they like to attack multiple opponents.

 

[demiurge1138]

Sounds good to me!

Demiurge out.

 

[Shade]

Hmmm...I was expecting to find some more information on them in Wikipedia, but no luck. In fact, Google didn't even yield any results. I wonder if they go by another name?

Since it large and bovine, but also resembles a boar, let's look at the relevant stats from some of those creatures:

Bison: Str 22, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 4
Dire Boar: Str 27, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 8
Gorgon: Str 21, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 9

So Str 21-27, Dex 10, Con 16-21, Int 2, Wis 11-13, Cha 4-9

It sounds like this is still appropriate:

Ferocity (Ex): A dire boar is such a tenacious combatant that it continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.

Here's a permanent haste ability:

Alacrity (Su): Once per round, the mithral golem may take an extra standard action (either before or after its other actions in the round).

Here's one we came up with:
Arboreal Alacrity (Su): When making a full attack action, an actaeon may make one extra attack with any manufactured weapon it is holding. The attack is made using the creature's highest attack bonus with that weapon.

 

[freyar]

Since this is lower HD than the dire boar, let's go toward the low end of the stats. Maybe Str 21, Con 16, Wis 11, Cha 4? I agree that ferocity looks good. I think the "arboreal alacrity" version works a bit better for this creature than the mithral golem one.

 

[demiurge1138]

Yeah, one extra attack. Although its move speed should also be pretty high.

Demiurge out.

 

[Shade]

Added to Homebrews.

I borrowed the height and weight from the bison.

Give it scent like boars?

Skills: 7 (Listen 4, Spot 3?)

Feats: 2 (Dire boars have Alertness, Endurance, Iron Will; I can easily see Power Attack)

Organization: Solitary or x (2-6) (x=herd, like a boar?)

Challenge Rating: 3? (A standard boar is CR 2, and this is tougher)

 

[RavinRay]

I have to confess that I'm not familiar with the last few beasties because they're taken from different parts of the Philippines, and given our archipelagic nature, and 85+ linguistically-differentiated tribes, each has it's own but nonetheless related and parallel set of beliefs, myths, and monsters.

 

[demiurge1138]

I agree with Freyar that this should have Power Attack and Cleave, given its penchant for fighting multiple foes at once. Herd is fine for organization. It should have Scent. I'd reverse your numbers on Spot and Listen, but otherwise agree with your skill allocation.

Demiurge out.