Converting prehistoric animals

[BOZ]

Let’s go through these one at a time, since they are not overly complex.

Hallucigenia
FREQUENCY: Very rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-4
ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVEMENT: 9
HIT DICE: 9
THAC0: 11
NO. OF ATTACKS: 9
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10/1d6/1d4 (x7)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Trample
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
SIZE: H (25’ long, 18’ high at the shoulder)
MORALE: Fearless (20)
XP VALUE: 3,000

Hallucigenia is well named. Totally unprecedented, it is so strange that no one’s sure about anything regarding this creature. It is assumed that the rounded thing at one end is the head. The thing on the tail end has an opening, and may well be a mouth and throat. Gould has suggested that perhaps this “animal” is only a complicated organ from a much larger creature. Keeping all this in mind, let’s finish this listing.
Like certain other creatures, Hallucigenia may leave the water for an hour or more at a time, wreaking havoc on the local flora and fauna. It has nine standard attacks: the seven back-mounted, pincer-tipped tentacles do 1d4 points of damage each; the cluster of six small tentacles inflict total damage of 1d6; and the throat/tail/whatever can constrict for 1d10 points. In addition, the monster has the option of walking over a prone opponent. Its legs (if that’s what they are) are so sharp that each one does 1d8 points of damage, and Hallucigenia has fourteen of them. That’s a maximum of 112 points of damage for one series of attacks! Remember to roll each attack separately. If the creature is fighting other foes at the same time, we have another 44 points of potential damage. No matter how you look at it, a monster that can dish out 156 points of damage in one combat sequence is a lot of monster!

So…

Hallucigenia
Huge Vermin (Aquatic)
Hit Dice: 9d8+X (X hp)
Initiative: +X
Speed: 25 ft (5 squares)
Armor Class: 15 (-2 size, +X Dex, +X natural), touch X, flat-footed X
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+X
Attack: X
Full Attack: “Tail” +X melee (1d10+X) and 6 tentacles +X melee (1) and 7 pincer-tentacles (1d4+X)
Space/Reach: 15 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: constrict, trample/pierce
Special Qualities: amphibious?, darkvision 60 ft
Saves: Fort +X Ref +X Will +X
Abilities: Str X, Dex X, Con X, Int ---, Wis X, Cha X
Skills:
Feats: (Multiattack as bonus)

Environment: Any aquatic
Organization: Solitary or 1-4
Challenge Rating: X
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 10-18 HD (Huge); 19-27 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: ---

“Like certain other creatures, Hallucigenia may leave the water for an hour or more at a time, wreaking havoc on the local flora and fauna.”

Amphibious SQ, or something more like a reverse hold breath?

“the throat/tail/whatever can constrict for 1d10 points”

standard constrict attack, I’m sure.

“In addition, the monster has the option of walking over a prone opponent. Its legs (if that’s what they are) are so sharp that each one does 1d8 points of damage, and Hallucigenia has fourteen of them. That’s a maximum of 112 points of damage for one series of attacks! Remember to roll each attack separately. If the creature is fighting other foes at the same time, we have another 44 points of potential damage. No matter how you look at it, a monster that can dish out 156 points of damage in one combat sequence is a lot of monster!”

at first it sounds a bit like a trample attack, although this is not truly the case. It works a bit similarly, but only just a bit. I’d say that as part of its normal movement, it may “walk” on any single creature in its threat range (which is decent, since it is Huge) – this subjects the creature to 14 individual leg/spine attacks which do 1d8 damage each if they hit. And, what’s worse, it can still make its normal attack routine against other foes.

To keep it simple, instead of 14 separate attack rolls, we could just make the damage 14d8 for such a trample. I’d say this affects only Large or smaller creatures.

 

[Knight Otu]

I'd round the speed up to 30 ft.

Water Dependent, like the Sahuagin?

To keep it simple, instead of 14 separate attack rolls, we could just make the damage 14d8 for such a trample. I’d say this affects only Large or smaller creatures.

Sounds ok at first glance.

 

[Shade]

I'd round the speed up to 30 ft.

Agreed.

Water Dependent, like the Sahuagin?

Good call!

Sounds ok at first glance.

Same here.

Ability scores of similar-sized vermin:
Huge Monstrous Centipede Str 17, Dex 15, Con 12, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2
Huge Monstrous Scorpion Str 23, Dex 10, Con 16, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2
Huge Monstrous Spider Str 19, Dex 17, Con 14, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2

I'd place it somewhere between the centiped and the scorpion, giving it scores of Str 20, Dex 13, Con 14, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2.

 

[BOZ]

I'd round the speed up to 30 ft.

if I had to choose, I’d actually lower it to 20 ft to keep it slower than a human.

Water Dependent, like the Sahuagin?

duh! Yes, that is the answer.

Water Dependent (Ex): A hallucigenia can survive out of the water for 1 hour per 2 points of Constitution (after that, refer to the drowning rules on page 304 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Ability scores of similar-sized vermin:
Huge Monstrous Centipede Str 17, Dex 15, Con 12, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2
Huge Monstrous Scorpion Str 23, Dex 10, Con 16, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2
Huge Monstrous Spider Str 19, Dex 17, Con 14, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2

I'd place it somewhere between the centiped and the scorpion, giving it scores of Str 20, Dex 13, Con 14, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 2.

that’s fine.

For the trample, I’m thinking of basing it more like a gelatinous cube’s engulf – since it would basically be walking right over you, rather than charging into you.

 

[Shade]

if I had to choose, I’d actually lower it to 20 ft to keep it slower than a human.

You big softie.

 

[BOZ]

You big softie.

come on, you have to give the poor humans a slim chance.

“Piercing Trample” (Ex): A hallucigenia can walk on a single creature of Large or smaller size within its threat range as a move action. It may also make a full attack action in the same round. A hallucigenia’s fourteen legs are very sharp, and deal 14d8 points of piercing damage to any creature it walks on. The opponent can make an attack of opportunity against the hallucigenia, but if it does so it is not entitled to a saving throw. If the opponent does not attempt an attack of opportunity it can make a DC X Reflex save to halve the damage. The save DC is Strength-based.

Now, we have a saving throw instead of attack rolls. Natural armor won’t help you, but damage reduction will (assuming piercing weapons don’t break your DR).

but, with this line, “In addition, the monster has the option of walking over a prone opponent.” Do you think we should limit it to only helpless opponents?

 

[Knight Otu]

come on, you have to give the poor humans a slim chance.

The human can always take the Run or Dash feat. Or move to live in the desert or mountains.

“Piercing Trample” (Ex): A hallucigenia can walk on a single creature of Large or smaller size within its threat range as a move action. It may also make a full attack action in the same round. A hallucigenia’s fourteen legs are very sharp, and deal 14d8 points of piercing damage to any creature it walks on. The opponent can make an attack of opportunity against the hallucigenia, but if it does so it is not entitled to a saving throw. If the opponent does not attempt an attack of opportunity it can make a DC X Reflex save to halve the damage. The save DC is Strength-based.

Now, we have a saving throw instead of attack rolls. Natural armor won’t help you, but damage reduction will (assuming piercing weapons don’t break your DR).

but, with this line, “In addition, the monster has the option of walking over a prone opponent.” Do you think we should limit it to only helpless opponents?

Here's the normal trample ability for reference:

Trample (Ex): As a full-round action, a creature with this special attack can move up to twice its speed and literally run over any opponents at least one size category smaller than itself. The creature merely has to move over the opponents in its path; any creature whose space is completely covered by the trampling creature’s space is subject to the trample attack. If a target’s space is larger than 5 feet, it is only considered trampled if the trampling creature moves over all the squares it occupies. If the trampling creature moves over only some of a target’s space, the target can make an attack of opportunity against the trampling creature at a –4 penalty. A trampling creature that accidentally ends its movement in an illegal space returns to the last legal position it occupied, or the closest legal position, if there’s a legal position that’s closer. A trample attack deals bludgeoning damage (the creature’s slam damage + 1-1/2 times its Str modifier). The creature’s descriptive text gives the exact amount.

Trampled opponents can attempt attacks of opportunity, but these take a –4 penalty. If they do not make attacks of opportunity, trampled opponents can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage.

The save DC against a creature’s trample attack is 10 + 1/2 creature’s HD + creature’s Str modifier (the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). A trampling creature can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.

 

[BOZ]

How do you think my writeup stacks up against that one? Any inconsistencies that we should work on?

more monster goodness soon - today has been crazy busy.

 

[BOZ]

bump - more comments on the trample attack?

 

[Knight Otu]

Some inconsistencies - Action type; movement; full attack action?

For the halluzigena, I'd say there is no need that it needs to move fully over a creature, and the attack of opportunity does not necessarily need a penalty.

DC would be 19, I think.