Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[Shade]

Ahh, gotcha.

Any thoughts on this?

If we want to get really crazy, we could give the hippo mummy something that ties into Taweret's fertility...like a curse where the victim gives birth to a scorpion swarm.

 

[freyar]

Nasty, but I kind of like it. Something like having a slaad egg implanted.

 

[Cleon]

Besides increasing the Str to 30, do we want to change any other stats from the croc mummy (Str 27, Dex 13, Con —, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 15)?

I'd like to keep the HD the same for all three.

I agree with the current homebrew's higher Str, lower Dex but unchanged Hit Dice.

As for 'twisted fertility' my idea was they sometimes swallow folk they've killed and give birth to them as ghastly undead abominations, but that's just me. However I prefer it as just flavour-text.

It would be helpful if we could have some stats for the hippopotamus and dire hippopotamus. What size, NA, bite damage and ability scores do they have?

I'm thinking the Hippo-Mummy could have a capsize special attack like a Dragon Turtle.

EDIT: I'm also feeling we may want to boost the bite attack somehow, maybe higher damage or an augmented critical SA. Hippos have very nasty jaws.

 

[Shade]

Hippopotamus:
Large Animal
Hit Dice: 8d8+40 (76 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +6 natural), touch 8, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+17
Attack: Bite +12 melee (2d6+10)
Full Attack: Bite +12 melee (2d6+10)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Hold breath, scent
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 9, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 3
Skills: Listen +7, Spot +6, Swim +15
Feats: Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Power Attack
Environment: Warm plains and forests (rivers)
Organization: Solitary, pair, or herd (10-15)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 9-16 HD (Large); 17-24 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: -

Dire Hippopotamus
Huge Animal
Hit Dice: 18d8+126 (207 hp)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), swim 30 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (-2 size, -2 Dex, +12 natural), touch 6, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+33
Attack: Bite +23 melee (2d8+12/19-20)
Full Attack: Bite +23 melee (2d8+12/19-20)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: Hold breath, scent
Saves: Fort +18, Ref +9, Will +8
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 6, Con 25, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 8
Skills: Listen +15, Spot +14, Swim +20
Feats: Alertness, Die Hard, Endurance, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Overrun, Power Attack
Environment: Warm plains and forests (rivers)
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 14
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 19-26 HD (Huge); 27-54 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: -

 

[demiurge1138]

I like augmented critical and the birthing swarms ideas.

 

[freyar]

Augmented crit is a good idea.

 

[Cleon]

Hippopotamus:
*SNIP*

Dire Hippopotamus
*SNIP*

Thanks Shade, very useful. I assume these are the official stats from Sandstorm.

Anyhow, those stats tempt me to, at the very least, boost the composite mummy's bite to 2d8/19-20 and give it the Improved Bull Rush and Improved Overrun as bonus feats.

 

[freyar]

I'd be happy to increase the bite damage, but why bonus feats? They're not bonus for the "natural" hippos, so why not just swap them out for other feats the mummy already has?

 

[Cleon]

I'd be happy to increase the bite damage, but why bonus feats? They're not bonus for the "natural" hippos, so why not just swap them out for other feats the mummy already has?

Well, I quite like the current feat selection so I don't really want to cut any, there are 2 feats I would grudgingly give up (Improved Initiative and Great Fortitude), but that's not enough to give the Mummy the Imp. Bull Rush and Overrun feats, since they also need Power Attack as a prereq.

 

[freyar]

I guess I'm not feeling the bonus-ness though. Why not drop Weapon Focus? It's useful, but it's kind of a "blah" feat.